Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in Skopje, Yugoslavia and decided to join religious life at a young age. She joined the Sisters of Loretto in 1928 and took her vows in 1937, adopting the name Teresa. In 1950, she received permission to start the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India to care for the poor and needy. Over the years, she opened homes for the dying, lost children, and lepers. Though her health declined in her later years, she continued her charitable work until stepping down as head of the order in 1997. She died on September 5, 1997 in Calcutta at age 87 and her sainthood process is still ongoing.