SAINT OF THE DAY · SEPTEMBER 5

Who was Saint Teresa of Calcutta?

Saintly Editorial 2 min read
In short

Saint Teresa of Calcutta: Serving Christ among the poorest of the poor. Lived 1910 to 1997. Born in Skopje, served in India. Nun and founder of Missionaries of Charity. Patron of Missionaries of Charity. Canonized by Pope Francis in 2016. Saintly remembers this saint on September 5.

  • Lived 1910 to 1997
  • Born in Skopje, served in India
  • Nun and founder of Missionaries of Charity
  • Patron of Missionaries of Charity
  • Canonized by Pope Francis in 2016

Who was Saint Teresa of Calcutta?

Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, the youngest child in her family. Her father died suddenly when she was eight. Her mother raised the children with firm faith and generous care. In the parish, Gonxha learned to serve others. At twelve, she sensed a call to religious life. Her world soon widened.

At eighteen, Gonxha left home for Ireland to join the Sisters of Loreto, a religious community devoted to education and mission. She received the name Teresa after Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Her mother gave one final instruction: place your hand in God's hand and keep walking. Teresa then sailed toward India.

Teresa taught girls in Calcutta for many years. During daily journeys through crowded streets, she saw hunger and illness close at hand. On a train ride to Darjeeling in 1946, she received what she called a call within a call. Christ urged her to leave the classroom and serve the poorest. Permission took time.

In 1948, Teresa left her convent wearing a simple white sari with blue borders. After medical training, she entered Calcutta's slums. She washed children's sores, cared for an old man on the road, and nursed a woman dying from hunger and tuberculosis. Former students soon joined her. A new community began.

Teresa's work grew, yet her own prayer became difficult. For years, she felt far from God and called this suffering the darkness. She continued rising early, attending Mass, praying before the Eucharist, and serving the abandoned. Her hidden pain did not end her work. It deepened the cost of her fidelity.

Teresa saw Christ in each person who was hungry, sick, lonely, or dying. At Kalighat, her home for the dying, the sisters gave people clean beds, medicine, food, and companionship. She held hands and spoke gently. She believed every human being was created to love and be loved. This conviction guided everything.

Teresa died in Calcutta surrounded by her sisters. Her funeral drew people from many religions, nations, and social classes. The small nun who had walked through the slums was carried through the city with public honor. After her death, the Church examined her life and recognized two miraculous healings through her intercession.

What can we learn from Saint Teresa of Calcutta today?

  • Notice one ignored person today and offer attentive conversation without rushing away.
  • Carry a small care package for someone living on the street or facing hunger.
  • Before serving, quietly repeat Teresa's words, Jesus, I serve you in this person.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta reminds us that Christian love becomes visible through faithful action. She served people others avoided and remained close to Christ through spiritual darkness. Her witness still challenges indifference. Today, her example points toward the lonely, the sick, and the unwanted, where Christ waits to be recognized.

When is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Calcutta?

Saintly remembers Saint Teresa of Calcutta on September 5, when the story above is the saint of the day in the app. Read how the Church declares someone a saint, or how to choose a patron saint.

Sources

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