17th Death Anniversary of Saint Teresa of Calcutta on 5th September 2017
Thousands of faithfuls and nuns from Missionaries of Charity from across the city gathered at the Mother House, where Saint Teresa lived, to pay tribute to the late Roman Catholic nun on her 19th death anniversary.
Coming just a day after she was canonised by Pope Francis in the Vatican City, the death anniversary which is observed as a feast day by nuns of the order, had a special significance.
Her Birth: Born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Albania in the year 1910, Mother Teresa’s family was financially sound until her father’s death.
Her family: Agnes left her home at the age of 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. Since then she never saw her mother and sister.
Vows to be a nun: Agnes vowed to be a nun in 1931 and chose to be called as Teresa after the Saint Teresa of Avila.
Admiration: The Catholic Church beatified Mother Teresa as Blessed Teresa of Calcutta in 2003 – years after her death. Albania’s international airport is named after Mother Teresa as the Aeroporti Nene Tereza.
Great work: Mother Teresa rescued 37 children from a frontline hospital war zone. While travelling, she carried leftover food from the airplane and gave it to the poor and hungry.
Sacrifice: Mother Teresa turned down the traditional Nobel Prize honour and instead requested funds of US$192,000 for the poor in India.
Achievements: Mother Teresa has received several awards for her charity work, one of which includes the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Ronald Reagan.
The legendary nun Mother Teresa passed on September 5, 1997 at 9:30 pm due to heart attack. Despite her death her noble deed is still being carried on by the Roman Catholic congregation she established. Today, Missionaries of Charity has more than 4500 sisters and operates in over 130 countries across the world.
Mother Teresa, world's most famous nun, will be elevated to sainthood today as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.