1. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born in 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia to an Albanian Catholic family. 2. At age 18, she joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin and took the name Sister Mary Teresa, becoming a nun. 3. In 1946, while traveling by train in India, she felt inspired by God to help the poor and sick in Kolkata's slums, receiving permission from the Vatican in 1948 to do so.

1. MOTHER
Therese
1910-1997

2. AGNES GONXHA
BOJAXHIU was born on
26th August, 1910 in Skopje
Republic of Macedonia.
The Bojaxhius were Catholic
family.
Her parents were of
Albanian.
Her father Nikolle Bojaxhiu
was a bussinesman and
politician.
Her mother Dranafile Bernai
was a housewife.
Her sister Aga and her
brother Lazar.

3. When Agnes was
only 8 years old, her
father suddenly fell ill
and died.
Then the family had
economic problems.
She was young and
wanted to be a nun to
help the poor.

4. At the age of 18, Agnes decided to
become a nun and traveled to
Ireland. She joined “The Convent
Sisters of Loreto”, in Dublin.
She changed her name to Sister
Mary Therese for Saint Therese of
Lisieux “ The patron of the
missionaries”.
She learnt to speak Bengali and Hindi,
too studied a short course with “The
Medical Mission Sisters “ in París.
She went to Calcutta and taught at
“Saint Mary´s High School” for girls.

5. “Day of Inspiration” , on 10
September, 1946.
Sister Therese was travelling from
Calcutta then “ God spoke to her”.
She returned The Convent of The
Sisters of Loreto.
She asked permission to work in the
slums to help the poor, to care for the
sick and dying.
Two years later, She received the
permission from The Pope Pio XII to
work in the streets of Calcutta.
From at the moment , She wore a
while Hindi Sari with blue borders and
a crucifix on the left shoulder.

6. Mother Therese taught children
to read and write in the streets of
Calcutta.
For 20 years Mother Therese
dedicated to teach in the Calcutta
schools and her missionary activity in
the poor places with her students .
She traveled the world to help
marginalized, cared for the sick, dying
and rescued 37 children
in the Beirut war.

7. Mother Therese received donations
and she founded The Missionaries of
Charity women and men.
She opened Centers for the sick, the
elderly, too founded schools and
orphanages for poor and abandoned
children, in 123 countries of the world.

8. During the last years of her life,
She had severe health problems:
pneumonia, malaria and her
heart was bad.
On 5th September, 1997
Mother Therese died.
She was 87 years old , She received
an Honour Funeral by Government
of India.

9. Mother Therese received
numerous awards, including The
Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.
In 2003 She was “Blessed
Therese of Calcutta” by Poper
John Paul II.
In 2016 She was canonized as
“Saint Therese” by Pope Francis.

10. Her life and her work
were an example of
love, dignity, faith, hope
and charity.
A Missionary who
fought the rights of the
poor, sick,
marginalized and
defenseless.
We call her:
“Mother of
the poor “