Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa is known for her work living in the slums of Calcutta. She dressed in a white sari and sandals, the ordinary dress of an Indian woman, and she came to know her neighbors well. She was especially aware of the needs of the poor and sick.

Her work was exhausting, but volunteers soon came to join her. Some of them became the core of the Missionaries of Charity. Others helped by donating food, clothing, supplies, and the use of buildings. In 1952, the city of Calcutta gave Mother Teresa a former hostel to use as a home for the dying and the destitute. As the order expanded, services also were offered to orphans, abandoned children, alcoholics, the aging, and street people.

For the next four decades, Mother Teresa worked tirelessly. Her love knew no bounds. She became well-respected, as she traveled around the globe pleading for support and inviting others to see the face of Jesus in the poorest of the poor. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.