Mother Teresa Facts for Kids

A Picture of Mother Teresa
  • Name: Mother Teresa (Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu)
  • Profession: Roman Catholic Nun and Missionary
  • Born: August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
  • Died: September 5th, 1997 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India
  • Resting Place: The Mother House Of the Missionaries Of Charity
  • Legacy: Famous for her extensive charity work around the world

28 Mother Teresa Facts for Kids

  1. Mother Teresa was a nun and missionary for the Roman Catholic Church.
  2. Mother Teresa is most well-known for her charity work across the globe.
  3. Mother Teresa was born on August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, Kosovo Vilayet, Ottoman Empire.
  4. Mother Teresa’s legal birthname was Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu.
  5. Mother Teresa was the daughter of Nikollë Bojaxhiu and Dranafile Bojaxhiu.
  6. Mother Teresa was the youngest of three children by Nikollë and Dranafile Bojaxhiu.
  7. Mother Teresa was never married and never had any children.
  8. Mother Teresa died at the age of 87 on September 5th, 1997 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.
  9. In 1928, Teresa joined the Sisters of Loreto with the goals of becoming a missionary.
  10. In 1929, Teresa begins training and preparing for her religious life and vows in Darjeeling, India.
  11. In 1931, Teresa took her religious vows and choose the name Thérèse de Lisieux.
  12. In 1937, Teresa took her solemn vows in Kolkata, India.
  13. In 1946, Teresa experienced what she called “the call within the call”. She believed she should leave the Sisters of Loreto convent and help poor people while living with them.
  14. In 1948, Teresa starts to get basic medical training and starts to visit the slums of India.
  15. In 1950, Teresa formed the Missionaries of Charity after receiving permission from the Vatican.
  16. In 1952, Teresa opened the Kalighat Home for the Dying, her first hospice center. This was a place where people could receive medical care and die with dignity. Everyone could die according to their faith.
  17. In 1955, Teresa opened the Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, the Children’s Home of the Immaculate Heart. This was a home was a safe place for homeless children and orphans.
  18. Throughout the 1960s, Teresa opened many centers to benefit the poor in India. These centers included hospices, leper houses (safe places for people with leprosy) and orphanages.
  19. In 1962, Teresa was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding.
  20. In 1965, Teresa expanded her congregation outside of India with their first house in Venezuela.,
  21. In 1968, Teresa opened houses in Austria, Italy and Tanzania.
  22. Throughout the 1970s, Teresa opened houses in Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States of America.
  23. In 1979, Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her charitable and humanitarian work.
  24. In 1983, Teresa had a heart attack while meeting with Pope John Paul II in Rome.
  25. In 1985, Teresa was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Ronald Regan.
  26. In 2003, Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II at Saint Peter’s Square.
  27. In 2007, Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity had over 5,000 sisters and 450 brothers. They had locations in 120 countries with 600 schools, shelters and missions.
  28. In 2016, Teresa was canonized by Pope Francis at Saint Peter’s Square.

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