MEMORIAL: SEPTEMBER 5
Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, Albania, in the early 20th century. Growing up in a Jesuit parish, Agnes was inspired to do missionary work. She joined the Sisters of Loreto, Ireland, and took on the name Sr. Mary Teresa after St. Therese of Lisieux. Once she made her final vows, she was known as Mother Teresa, and she spent 20 years in Loreto as a teacher and principal at a Catholic school.
During her annual retreat on a train ride in India, Mother Teresa received a ‘call within a call’ from Jesus to go with Him to serve the poor. After two years of discernment, she was given permission to begin serving the poor in India. She visited families, washed wounds, sat with the dying, and fed those she could. Within a couple years, she started a new congregation called the Missionaries of Charity. Her congregation grew rapidly, and with the help of donors, she was able to build specific houses, hospitals, and schools that addressed the needs of the poor. She continued this work for nearly 50 years, and became globally recognized. She gained strength from prayer and her devotion to the Eucharist. She is said to have experienced an extended ‘dark night of the soul’, or desolation from God meant to deepen her desire for Him.
Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997. At the time of her death, Mother Teresa had 4,000 sisters and established 610 foundations in 123 countries. She was beatified by her friend Pope John Paul II in 2003, and was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016. She is the patron saint of World Youth Day.
