Every year on August 26, people across India and the world remember Mother Teresa on her birth anniversary. Born in 1910, she devoted her life to serving the poor, sick and abandoned. Though she was born outside India, Kolkata became her home, where she spent decades caring for those in need.
At the age of 18, Mother Teresa joined the Sisters of Loreto and arrived in India in 1929. She initially worked as a teacher before experiencing what she described as a “call within a call” to leave the convent and dedicate herself to helping the poorest of the poor. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation that would go on to serve millions of people across the world.
Starting with just a handful of members, the Missionaries of Charity expanded rapidly, establishing homes for orphaned children, the homeless, leprosy patients, people with disabilities and those suffering from terminal illnesses. The organisation’s work reached countries across the globe, making Mother Teresa one of the most recognised humanitarian figures of the 20th century.
Mother Teresa’s selfless service earned her several prestigious honours. In 1979, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her humanitarian efforts, and in 1980, India honoured her with the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award. Despite international recognition, she remained committed to a simple lifestyle and continued working among the poor until her final years.
After her death on September 5, 1997, tributes poured in from around the world. In 2016, Pope Francis declared her a saint, and she became known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Her legacy continues through the Missionaries of Charity, which still operates homes and service centres in numerous countries, carrying forward her mission of compassion and care.
On her birth anniversary, schools, churches and charitable organisations organise prayer meetings, community service programmes and food distribution drives to honour her memory. Many people also take inspiration from her message that even the smallest act of kindness can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.
As the world marks Mother Teresa’s birth anniversary today, her life remains a reminder that compassion, humility and service to humanity have the power to transform lives. More than a century after her birth, her enduring legacy continues to inspire millions to extend a helping hand to those most in need.
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