Mother Teresa Final Paper

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Ashley Gonzalez
Professor Norris
Introduction to Religious and Theological Studies 1001
17 March 2015
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was a brave, strong, independent woman. She was born in Skopje, capital of the Republic of Macedonia on August 27,1910 and died in Kolkata, India on September 5,1997. Mother Teresa original name was Agnes Gonxha Bojazhiu. Once she became a nun, she became know as Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta or Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Today, many call her Mother Teresa (“Blessed Mother Teresa” Encyclopedia Britannica). Agnes was raised by both of her Albanian parents: Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu. She grew up being the youngest of three siblings in a catholic household. When Agnes was eight years old, her father died from poisoning, while he was working as a constructor. This was a tragic to the whole family. Raising three daughters wasn’t easy for Drane Bojaxhiu but she made sure her daughters were loved and great cared for. She provided her daughters with great religious influences by taking her daughters to church and giving them a catholic foundation. As a child, Agnes was obedient and lived a happy, content life with her family. In 1916, at the age of five, Mother Teresa received her first communion and became confirmed. After that day, she knew she wanted to serve Christ and share his love with others. At the age of twelve, Agnes wanted to help those in need and decided she wanted to become a missionary; an individual who goes out of their way to help support the needs of other (martin 15).
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In September 1928, Agnes turned eighteen and decided to leave her family to join the sisters of Loretto in the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary located in Dublin, Ireland (martin 15). In order for her to be able to attend the institute, she had to ask the Vatican, the authority of the Roman Catholic Church for permission. At the time, young women were most likely to be denied by the Vatican; Agnes was one of the few who gained permission, she immediately started training. During this period of time, she learned the history of the orders of the sisters of Loretto, took interest in the language of English, and most importantly practiced her religious faith. Agnes trained for about six months and then was sent to Darjeeling, India to teach the children of India for seventeen years. In 1931, Agnes finished her teachings and immediately took her vows. Her name changed from Agnes to Sister Mary Teresa. In 1937, she took her last vows and became known as Mother Teresa (“Blessed Mother Teresa” Encyclopedia Britannica). This transition of names symbolized transforming from a nun to Mother Teresa. In 1930, Mother Teresa taught the teachings and principles of the catholic faith. This was known as the catechism. Mother Teresa taught for nine years, she loved teaching but she knew that her call wasn’t to be a teacher, but to help serve the poor (Carnagie, et al. 351).
On September 10,1946 Mother Teresa received a sign while she was traveling on the train. A sign gives direction and guidance to an individual. Mother Teresa described the sign as a “call within a call.” This day became known as “Inspiration Day” many individuals annually celebrate this day (“Blessed Mother

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Teresa” Encyclopedia Britannica). After the Lord confirmed her call, she knew she wanted to go back to India. She patiently waited two years for the Vatican to give her permission to leave the convent and begin living as an Independent nun. Mother Teresa was eager to start doing what she wanted to do. Once she had permission, she immediately traveled to Calcutta, India to teach the small children. She taught them with a stick and drew out the lecture on the dirt. Her kindness and happiness was what brought joy to the small children. After awhile, Mother Teresa rented an outdoor cabin that was turned into a classroom for the children. Not only did she help support the children but also she financially supported the needs of the children’s families, church, and religious groups of Calcutta (Carnagie, et al. 351). Mother Teresa brought smiles unto the faces of the people of Calcutta. They were touched by her act of kindness and many were touched by her actions. People from around the world heard about Mother Teresa great works in India, many were touched and gave donations. Mother Teresa was greatly impacted by the amount of poverty that took place in India. In 1950, the Vatican granted Mother Teresa permission to establish The Missionaries of Charity. The Missionaries Of Charity’s goal was to be able provide care for those in need of food, shelter, or provide for those who felt unwanted or unloved (martin 15). The Missionaries of Charity also became an orphanage to small children without families. Children who were not adopted out were provided with an education and trade skills until marriage. On August 22, 1952, Mother Teresa built a home for the dying in the city of Kolkata called Nirmal
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Hriday, which means “pure heart.” Mother Teresa did not only let these people die peacefully but she took care of them by feeding, bathing and by providing them with a cot. During the 1960s, increasing numbers of people were infected by leprosy, a contagious disease that causes lumps and discoloration on the skin. Many who suffered with leprosy in India were abandoned. Mother Teresa felt the need to help these people; she then decided to build a place where lepers could peacefully live a normal, everyday life (“Blessed Mother Teresa” Encyclopedia Britannica). This place was called Shanti Nagar, which means “city of peace.” People were impacted by the way she would care for them. She would hold them in their arms, knowing that leprosy was contagious and care for them when no one would. Soon after, she established a leprosy fund. This fund helped educate the public about the disease. One of Mother Teresa’s last works was when she turned seventy in the 1980s. She became the founder of Gift of Love, a home for those who suffered with AIDS. Gift of Love has locations in New York, San Francisco, Denver, and Ethiopia. Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, to heart failure. Her funeral took place in Kolkata, India, at the Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity where her body was laid down to rest (Carnagie, et al. 351). Thousands of hundreds of people went to see her body; it was a tragic day for many individuals. Mother Teresa changed people’s lives, she was always trying to find ways to help the needs of others and would go out of her way to care and share her love for others. She became Mother Teresa will always be known for all of her great work of kindness.

Works Cited
"Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.
Martin, James, Sj. " 'In My Soul ' : The Long, Dark Night of Mother Teresa." America 197.8 (2007): 14-17. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Accession Number: CPLI0000457007; Language(s): English; General Note: port; Issued by ATLA: 20130515; Publication Type: Journal Article
"Mother Teresa to Travel." National Catholic Reporter 33 (1997): 9. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Accession Number: CPLI0000224103; Language(s): English; Issued by ATLA: 20130515; Publication Type: Journal Article
"Mother Teresa." World Religions Reference Library. Ed. Julie L. Carnagie, Michael J. O 'Neal, J. Sydney Jones, Marcia Merryman Means, Neil Schlager, and Jayne Weisblatt. Vol. 4: Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2007. 351-58. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|CX3448400084&v=2.1&u=mlin_n_merrcol&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=c96cb596e807a635b018b82ed288d477>.

Cited: "Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Martin, James, Sj. " 'In My Soul ' : The Long, Dark Night of Mother Teresa." America 197.8 (2007): 14-17. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Accession Number: CPLI0000457007; Language(s): English; General Note: port; Issued by ATLA: 20130515; Publication Type: Journal Article "Mother Teresa to Travel." National Catholic Reporter 33 (1997): 9. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Accession Number: CPLI0000224103; Language(s): English; Issued by ATLA: 20130515; Publication Type: Journal Article "Mother Teresa." World Religions Reference Library. Ed. Julie L. Carnagie, Michael J. O 'Neal, J. Sydney Jones, Marcia Merryman Means, Neil Schlager, and Jayne Weisblatt. Vol. 4: Biographies. Detroit: UXL, 2007. 351-58. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE|CX3448400084&v=2.1&u=mlin_n_merrcol&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=c96cb596e807a635b018b82ed288d477>.