Question

Make a note of achievement of Mother Teresa.

Answer 1

Mother Teresa was born on August 27,1910 in South Yugoslavia. She was youngest of the three siblings. Her father died in 1919 when she was eight years old. She was fascinated by story of the lives of missionaries and their service in Bengal.  By the age of 12, she had become convinced that she should commit herself to a religious life. She left home at age 18 to  pursue her life's mission of caring for the poorest of the poor. She joined the Sisters of Loreto as a missionary. After spending nearly two decades at the Loreto Convent, Mother Teresa stepped out of the convent to begin her mission which was in response to a 'call' that she received on a train journey to Darjeeling. She convinced the citizens of Kolkata that leprosy was not contagious.  She offered solace to the dying, rescued children from dustbins. 

Answer 2

Mother Teresa’s work towards humanity, gained her many prestigious awards from all over the world such as the Padmashree award, Noble Peace Prize, Bharat Presidential Medal of Freedom, Jawaharlal Nehru Award, Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and many more. Here is order in which she received these awards.

1962 – Padma Shri
1969 – Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding
1962 – Ramon Magsaysay Award

1971 – Pope John XXIII Peace Prize
1976 – Pacem in Terris Award
1978 – Balzan Prize
1979 – Nobel Peace Prize

Mother Teresa also voiced her opinions about abortion, divorce and contraception to bring about awareness amongst the people due to the high illiteracy rate. To alleviate the poverty and illness around her, she gave herself selflessly to the cause not wanting anything in return, valuing every person caressing their soul with love and dignity. As one of the greatest inspiration of the twentieth century, the strength and power of her teachings still bides with us remaining a symbol of compassion to the world.

The world was saddened by the loss of a beautiful spirit on 5 September 1997. The values she taught us through her contributions have taught us a lot, enlightening us with the miracles of invincible hope and extraordinary goodwill. With virtues at such unparalleled heights, Mother Teresa’s life bespoke the joy of living life to its essence. In the light of her services to humanity and miracles attributed to her name, Mother Teresa is to be canonized as  “St. Teresa of Calcutta” on Sept. 4, 2016 led by Pope Francis.