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Top 30 Facts about Mother Teresa

Originally published by Lilian in March 2020 and Updated by Ruth in August 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R on April 2023 and Updated by Vanessa R in May 2024

Mother Teresa is known for her missionary work in helping the poor. She was an empathetic devout catholic nun whose mission was to lessen the mystery that sick and poor went through.

She is considered to be the greatest humanitarian to have ever lived in the 20th century. Mother Teresa was born on August 26, 1910, in present-day Skopje, Republic of Macedonia.

Her parents, Nikoll毛 and Dranafile Bojaxhiu, named her, Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu. Her family were staunch Catholics who were actively involved in their local church.

The parents were also vocal politically and supported the Independence of Albania. Nikolle Bojaxhiu was an entrepreneur that dealt with construction wares and medicine.

Here are 30 facts about Mother Teresa

1. Mother Teresa performed miracles as a Saint

Photo by Ravi Roshan on Unsplash

In 1998, a woman known as Monica Besra went to missionaries of charity in Bengal India for prayers. She had a cancerous tumour in her stomach.

On September 5 of the same year, while praying at the Charity’s chapel, she saw a light coming from a photo of Mother Teresa.

There were also nuns who prayed with her. They placed a medallion that once touched Mother Teresa’s body on her stomach asking her to intervene.

Besra woke up the following morning with the tumor gone. Medical experts could not explain this miraculous cure.

She was declared cancer free. This was the second miracle attributed to Mother Teresa.

On December 18, 2015, Pope Francis acknowledged this miracle and it paved the way to her canonization.

On September 4, 2016,  Mother Teresa was canonized as a saint a day before the 19th anniversary of her death.

The canonization mass was led by Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

2. Mother Teresa鈥檚 philanthropy was nurtured by her mother 

Photo by guille pozzi on Unsplash

Growing up in Skopje, Mother Teresa became interested in community work.

She admired her mother’s kindness towards the poor in the community. She would always open her doors to the poor and share a meal with them.

Mrs Bojaxhui is said to have told Mother Teresa never to eat alone, to always share the little she had with other people.

After her father’s demise, Mother Teresa grew closer to her mother, a staunch believer in charity work.

This act of service bonded the two women nurturing selflessness in Mother Teresa.

3. Mother Teresa sang in the Choir

Photo by Joshua Hanson – Unsplash

In her early life, Mother Teresa attended a primary school run by nuns. She later went to a government run high school.

As a devoted Catholic, she attended the local church where she joined the sacred heart choir.

She was so good that she would often be asked to sing solo verses.

It was also during this time that she had an epiphany on her journey as a missionary while on an annual pilgrimage to the Church of the Black Madonna in Letnice, she was 12 years old.

4. From Agnes to Mary Teresa 

In 1928, at 18 years old, then known as Agnes, Mother Teresa embarked on a journey to become a nun.

She joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin, Ireland. It was here that she took up the name Teresa in honor of  Saint Th茅r猫se of Lisieux.

5. Mother Teresa, the train and the Vision

Lisbon trains – by Threeohsix – Wikimedia Commons

In 1946, Mother Teresa, then based in Calcutta, went for a retreat in the Himalayas.

While on the train, she said she heard Christ asking her to take on a new role; go to the slums of Calcutta and help the poor and the sick. She was then a teacher.

It was not an easy decision. She was bound by the oath of obedience and could not leave the convent without official permission.

After two years of lobbying, her request was granted, and she stepped out of the convent adorning the famous blue and white sari.

She took a six-month medical training to equip herself with basic skills. After a successful training,  she headed to Calcutta’s slums with a single mission to show love to the poor and the sick.

6. Mother Teresa founded the Order of the Missionaries of Charity

Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

The year 1950 saw the birth of the Missionaries of Charity. This group was formed by Mother Teresa under the Catholic Church in a quest to spread the call for help and care for the less fortunate in the community.

15 years later, her good work reached Pope Paul VI. He granted her group the Decree of Praise. This enabled the expansion of the mission globally.

She started off with 13 members. Today, the mission has grown to over 4000 members, 610 foundation and thousands of volunteers worldwide.

7. Mother Teresa had brutal critics

Not everyone believed in Mother Teresa鈥檚 cause. There were those that believed she was hiding behind helping the poor and the sick.

One such critic was Christopher Hitchens an English-America journalist and writer.

He questioned Mother Teresa鈥檚 efforts in advocating for the sick and poor as a means of enriching the mighty and powerful in society.

He claimed that Mother Teresa was wrong in accepting alms and other forms of support from wealthy people who had questionable characters.

Hitchens referred to Mother Teresa as a religious propagandist who found comfort in the pain of others.

This was in reference to Mother Teresa鈥檚 Homes for the Dying, he said that the home did not seek to provide medical relief instead it was a cult of death and suffering.

By the time he Died, Hitchens had published over 30 books, among them The missionary Position: Mother Teresa in theory and Practice.

8. Mother Teresa鈥檚 Take on Abortion and Contraceptives was Harsh

Mother Teresa, a staunch catholic and humanitarian, was also a big supporter of some controversial  doctrines by the church.

She opposed the use of contraceptives. Endorsed a 鈥渘o鈥� vote for the Irish referendum on divorce and remarrying.

She considered abortion to be the cause of a lack of peace in the world.

9. Mother Teresa was awarded with  the Nobel Peace Prize 

Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitutes a threat to peace.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee acknowledged her work as being one that respected human beings and valuing the innate values of such individuals.

They commended her for lending a hand to the loneliest, the sick and the poor by showing compassion.

10. Mother Teresa suffered a crisis of faith

Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Mother Teresa, just like many people, had moments when she doubted.

In September 1979 she wrote a letter to her spiritual confidant, Reverend Michael van der Peet stating that she felt empty and could not see or hear (from God).

The letter read in part 鈥�As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear鈥�.

She asked the Reverend to remember her in prayer.

In some of her letter addressed to him, she explained her struggles in trying to keep up with God鈥檚 teachings and work, that she felt empty, filled with darkness and that heaven meant nothing.

At one point she doubted the existence of God and his son Jesus.

11. Mother Teresa was fluent in five languages

Mother Teresa was fluent in five different languages. These were Hindi, Bengali, Albanian, English, and even Serbian. 

While learning one language is hard enough, a great benefit of her speaking multiple languages was being able to communicate with people from all across the globe.

12. The traditional Sari was first worn by Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa by Laurel –

Mother Teresa wore the traditional sari for the first time when she left the sisters of Loreto. While it wasn鈥檛 intentional, Mother Teresa鈥檚 trademark white sari with blue stripes became a staple uniform for members of the Missionaries of Charity. 

When she departed from the Sisters of Loreto, Mother Teresa found her sari in Harrison Road on her way to Calcutta. Biswajit Sarkar, the pro bono lawyer of the Missionaries of Charity, ensured Intellectual Property rights regarding the sari.

13. Mother Teresa鈥檚 net worth during the time of her life is unknown

The New York Times published that Mother Teresa鈥檚 organization was, in fact, one of the richest in the world, and most of the money she had was actually stored in safety.

Whether the Vatican received the money she left behind or not, however, is a different matter.

14. Mother Teresa did not force conversion of religion on anyone

Mother Teresa by Laurel –

Mother Teresa did not force anyone to convert to the Roman Catholic religion, despite being a devout follower. However, there are reports that resurfaced years after her death claiming malpractice and forced conversion. As it stands, in Mother Teresa鈥檚 words, she had done none of that.

Navin Chawayu, her biographer, once asked if she had ever converted anyone. She replied 鈥淵es, I do convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu, a better Christian, a better Catholic, a better Sikh, a better Muslim. When you have found God, it鈥檚 up to you to do with him what you want.鈥�

15. Mother Teresa鈥檚 successor was Sister Maria Nirmala

Sister Nirmala became the head of the Missionaries of Charity after Mother Teresa鈥檚 death, succeeding her as Superior General. It was also acknowledged that Sister Nirmala had malaria and subsequent fevers. 

She became head of the Missionaries of Charity months after Mother Teresa left this earth. She once explained that she had no intentions of filling the role of Mother Teresa.

The successor believed that being herself wasn鈥檛 too hard, but if she tried to become similar to Mother Teresa, she would have collapsed.

16. She was fluent in 5 languages

One interesting fact about Mother Teresa is that she spoke English, Hindi, Bengali, Albanian, and even Serbian proficiently.  She was able to communicate with people from all over the world, which was a huge advantage since mastering just one language is challenging enough.

17. India gave her a state funeral

Mother Teresa was an important figure for the Indian government who helped many of their residents save their lives and further their education. As a result, they saw to it that she received a state funeral when she passed away. Politicians and presidents of state are typically the only people who receive the honour of a state funeral. One of the finest tributes the Indian government could pay to Mother Teresa was to hold a state funeral for her.

18. She built a small town for leppers

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Mother Teresa founded Nirmal Hriday alongside the Missionaries of Charity. Nirmal Hriday was also known as The Place for the Pure of Heart. It served as a sanctuary for people who wanted a peaceful and dignified death.

In addition to Nirmal Hriday, she also created a small leper community. The settlement was given the name Shanti Nagar, commonly known as the Town of Peace. India’s Asansol is close to Shanti Nagar. Lepers were allowed to live and work freely in Shanti Nagar. Even the land was given by the Indian government to Mother Teresa.

19. Some critics say that she wasn’t all that good

If you’ve witnessed what Mother Teresa has accomplished for the needy, the terms “Mother Teresa,” “bad,” and “critics” are difficult to stomach. However, some critics assert that she was a vile person in reality. Christopher Hitchens was one of her major critics. He argued that it was wrong for Mother Teresa to take funding from questionable sources. Mother Teresa was a “religious propagandist,” in Hitchens’ opinion, as well as a sadist who took pleasure in other people’s pain.

20. She had a friendship with Princess Diana

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Princess Diana was another philanthropist with whom St. Teresa of Calcutta had a good relationship. Given that they had a lot of interests, their relationship wasn’t initially that strange. The humanitarian work they both did helped many people and they were both prominent people.

The two would meet, talk in secret, and spend 30 to 40 minutes praying together. Princess Diana was praised by Mother Teresa for being a good mother and a wife.  As Princess Diana passed away, the rosary was even placed in her hands.

Mother Teresa lived to be 87, and she never saw her mother or sister again after the day she left for Ireland.

In April 1996 she fell and broke her collarbone. She also had a series of other ailments that took a toll on her health.

Mother Teresa passed away on September 5, 1997, due to heart failure. She was buried on 13 September 1997 at The Mother House Of the Missionaries Of Charity, Kolkata, India.

21. Mother Teresa was deeply influenced by the work and life of St. Francis of Assisi

Mother Teresa drew significant inspiration from the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century Italian friar known for his commitment to a life of poverty, humility, and service to the poor and sick. St. Francis’ example of selfless love and compassion for all, especially the marginalized and suffering, resonated deeply with Mother Teresa.

She sought to emulate his way of life by renouncing worldly possessions, embracing simplicity, and dedicating herself to serving the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa’s own order, the Missionaries of Charity, was founded on principles similar to those upheld by St. Francis, focusing on providing care and support to the most vulnerable members of society.

22. She took her first religious vows as a nun in 1931

Mother Teresa became a nun and made her first religious promises in 1931. This meant that she promised to live a life of poverty, obedience, and service to God. After some years, in 1937, she made her final vows, which confirmed her lifelong commitment to being a nun and serving others.

23. Mother Teresa’s first job was as a teacher

Mother Teresa’s first job was as a teacher. After becoming a nun, she taught geography and history at a school in Calcutta, India, for about 20 years. During this time, she became deeply concerned about the poverty she saw around her and felt a growing desire to help those in need.

Mother Teresa loved teaching and cared deeply for her students, but she eventually felt called to serve the poor in a more direct way. Her experience as a teacher helped shape her compassionate approach to serving others.

24. Mother Teresa received many awards for her work helping the poor

, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Throughout her life, Mother Teresa received many awards for her work helping the poor. One of the most important honors she received was the Bharat Ratna, which is the highest civilian award in India. She was given this award in 1980 as a recognition of her outstanding service to the country and its people.

The Bharat Ratna is a very prestigious award and is only given to a few people who have made a significant contribution to India. By receiving this award, Mother Teresa’s work was recognized and appreciated by the entire nation. It was a testament to the impact she had made on the lives of so many people.

25. Some people disagreed with her strong views against divorce

, , via Wikimedia Commons

While many people admired Mother Teresa’s work, she also faced criticism from some people. They disagreed with her strong views against divorce and felt that she was not using the donations she received in the best way possible.

Despite this criticism, Mother Teresa continued her work and remained committed to her beliefs. She believed that marriage was a sacred bond and that divorce went against God’s plan for families. Some people also questioned how she was using the money that was donated to her organization, but Mother Teresa always maintained that every penny was used to help the poor and those in need.

26. In 1996, the United States Congress decided to give Mother Teresa a special honor

In 1996, the United States Congress decided to give Mother Teresa a special honor. They granted her honorary U.S. citizenship, which meant that she was recognized as a citizen of the United States even though she was born in another country.

This was a rare honor that showed how much the United States respected and appreciated her work. Mother Teresa was only the fourth person in history to receive honorary U.S. citizenship, which shows just how highly she was regarded. The decision to grant her this honor was made unanimously by both houses of Congress, reflecting the widespread admiration for Mother Teresa and her tireless efforts to help the poor and sick.

27. Many people wanted to recognize her as a saint in the Catholic Church

When Mother Teresa passed away, many people wanted to recognize her as a saint in the Catholic Church. Normally, there is a waiting period of five years before the process of making someone a saint can begin.

However, Pope John Paul II, the leader of the Catholic Church at the time, made a special exception for Mother Teresa. He allowed the process to start right away, showing how much he admired her life and work. This was a very unusual step, as the Catholic Church typically waits five years to allow time for reflection and to gather evidence of a person’s holiness.

28. Mother Teresa struggled with health problems for much of her life

, , via Wikimedia Commons

Mother Teresa struggled with health problems for much of her life. She had a heart attack in 1989 and was fitted with a pacemaker. In 1996, she fell and broke her collarbone. Despite her health challenges, Mother Teresa continued her work serving the poor and sick.

She believed that her suffering helped her to understand and empathize with the suffering of others. Mother Teresa once said, “Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus – a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.”

29. Mother Teresa persuaded the Israelis and Palestinians to stop fighting

In 1982, Mother Teresa persuaded the Israelis and Palestinians to stop fighting long enough for her to rescue 37 mentally disabled children trapped in a hospital in Beirut. The area was under heavy bombardment, but Mother Teresa was determined to save the children. She bravely crossed the war zone and negotiated a cease-fire to evacuate the young patients.

30. Mother Teresa had a special love for the Eucharist

Mother Teresa had a special love for the Eucharist, which is the sacrament of Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. She believed that the Eucharist was the source of her strength and the driving force behind her work.

Mother Teresa once said, “When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now.” She encouraged her sisters and the people she served to find strength and comfort in the Eucharist.