The angel of poor, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhui from Skopja, Macedonia, better known as Mother Teresa was born on August 27, 1910 in an Albanian descent family. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the sisters of Loreto, an Irish Community of nuns with missions in India. She trained in Dublin and Darjeeling before taking her religious vows in 1937 which according to her was her true birth to life. While serving at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta she was driven by the glimpse of poverty and suffering outside the convent walls. In 1948, She received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Besides of the lack of funds, She started an open-air school form slum children which soon was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming.

In October 7, 1950 She and her associates were approved within the archdiocese of Calcutta as the “Missionaries of Charity”. The primary task was to love and care for those persons to whom nobody was prepared to look after. Soon this society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI. In 9152, Mother Teresa opened the “Nirmal Hriday” (Pure Heart) Home for dying destitute in Calcutta . Contemplative branch of Sisters and the Active branch of Brothers was founded in 1963. Later, in 1979 the Contemplative branch of brother was added and in 1984 the Priest branch was established.

Subsequently, She extended her work onto five Continents. The “Missionaries of Charity” throughout the world are aided and assisted by co-workers who became and official International Association on March 29, 1969. The co-workers were to take four vows on acceptance by this association- the three basic vows are vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and pledging service to the poor, whom Mother Teresa described as the embodiment of Christ was the fourth vow.

In recognition of her efforts She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. Other awards and distinctions include Pope John XXIII Peace Prize(1971), Nehru Prize(1972), Balzan Prize (1979) and the Templeton and Maysaysay awards.

Mother Teresa dedicated her life to the sick and hungry people throughout her life and left the world in September 5, 1997 with wisdom “I see God in every human being. When I wash the Leper's wounds, I feel I am nursing the lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience ?”

Excerpt from the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech
"I choose the poverty of our poor people. But I am grateful to receive (the Nobel) in the name of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared-for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone."