Wednesday, 17 February 2010
After My Death - Miracle and Beatification
2002, the vatican recognised a miracle - the healing of a tumor in the abdomen of an Indian Woman, Monica Besra, following the application of a locket containing Mother Teresa's picture. Monica said that a beam of light emanated from the picture and cured the cancerous tumour - A MIRACLE! I was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 19 October 2003 and given the title BLESSED TERESA OF CALCUTTA
My Recognitions and Awards
1962 - Awarded Padma Shri in by Indian Government.1972 - The Jawaharlal Nehru for International Understanding
1980 - The Bharat Ratna (India's highest civilian award)
1962 - Philippines- based Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding given for work in South and East Asia.
1969 - Documentary Something Beautiful for God created, film and book about my life
1971 - Pope John XXIII Peace Prize
1976 - Pacem in Terris Award
1982 - Order of Australia
1983 - Order of Merit from US and UK
1994 - Albania my homeland granted me the Golden Homour of The Nation
1979 - Nobel Peace Prize
My Declining Health and Death
Suffered a heart attack in Rome in 1983, while visiting Pope John Paul II. Second attack in 1989 and got an artificial pacemaker. In 1991, after a battle with pneumonia while in Mexico, suffered further heart problems. In 1996, fell and broke my collar bone. In August suffered from malaria and failure of left heart ventricle. I had heart surgery but my health was declining. On 13 March 1997, I stepped down from head of the Missionaries of Charity and died on 5th September 1997.
International Charity
1982 at height of seige of Beirut, I rescued 37 children trapped in afront line hospital by brokering a temporary cease-fire between the Israeli and Palestinian guerrillas. Accompanied by the Red Cross we traveled through the war zone to the devastated hospital to evacuate the young patients.
I traveled to assist and minster to the hungry in Ethiopia, radiation victims at Chernobyl, and earthquake victims in Armenia.
Serving the poorest the poor we opened the 1st home in the US in the South Bronx, New York and by 1984 the order operated 19 establishments throughout the country.
By 1996 we operated 517 missions in more than 100 countries.
I traveled to assist and minster to the hungry in Ethiopia, radiation victims at Chernobyl, and earthquake victims in Armenia.
Serving the poorest the poor we opened the 1st home in the US in the South Bronx, New York and by 1984 the order operated 19 establishments throughout the country.
By 1996 we operated 517 missions in more than 100 countries.
The Missionaries Of Charity Brothers founded in 1963
In answer to the many requests from priests to offer help, I began the corpus christi movement for priests and combined my work with the resources of the ministerial priesthood. By 2007 the missionaries of charity numbered approx. 450 brothers and 5,000 nuns worldwide, operating in 600 missions, schools and shelters in 120 countries.
City Of Peace Homes for those suffering leprosy opened
The missionaries establisged several leprosy outreach clinics throughout Calcutta, providing medication, bandages and food.
1955 - The Opening of The Childrens Home Of The Immaculate Heart
As the missionaries of Charity took in increasing numbers of lost children, I decided to open a home especially for them, as a haven for orphans and homeless youth. The homes attracted recruits and charitable donations, and by the 1960s we had opened homes all over India.
Kalighat
In 1952 I opened the first home for the dying in space made available by the city of Calcutta. With the help of Indian officals I converted an Abandoned hindu temple into the Kalighat Homes for the Dying, a free hospice for the poor, I renamed it Kalighat, the home of the pure heart.Those brought to the home received medical attention and were afforded the opportunity to die with dignity according to the ritual of their faith Muslims were read the Quran, Hindus receied water from tthe Ganges, and Catholics received the Last Rites.
Missionaries Of Charity
I received Vatican permissin on 7 October 1950 to start diocesan congregation that would become the Missionaries of Charity. Its mission was to care for, the hungry, the naked, homeless, the crippled, the blind , the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the socity and are shunned by everyone. It began as a small order with 13 members in Calcutta today it has more than 4,000 nuns running orphanages, AIDS hospices and charity centers worldwide and caring for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor and homeless, and victims of floods, epidemics, and famine.
The Call within the Call
In 1946 I was going to Darjeeling, to make my annual reteat. It was in that train, I heard the call to give up all and follow Him into the slums to serve Him among the poorest of the poor. I knew it was His will, and that I had to follow Him. There was no doubt that it was going to be His work. But I waited for the decicision of the Church. In December 1948 alone I started working in the slums, visting the sick, gathering and instructing street children, and gradually opening my first school and dispensary in the Motijhil slums.The Sisters of Loreto
Aged 18 I joined the sisters of Loreto as a missionary. I initially went to the Loreto Abbey in Rathfarnham, Ireland to learn Engilsh, the language the Sisters of Loreto used to teach school children. I then travelled to India in 1929, and began my novitiate in Darjeeling, neer the Himalayan mountains. I took my first religious vows as a nun on 24 May 1931. At that time I chose the name Teresa after Therese de Lisieux, the patron saint missionaries. I took her vows on 14 May 1937, while serving as a teacher at the loreto convent school in eastern Calcutta.
Although I enjoyed teaching at the school, I was increasingly disturbed by the poverty surronding me in Calcutta. The Bengal famine of 1943 brought misery and death to the city and the outbreack of Hindu/Muslim violence in August 1946 plunged the city into despair and horror.
My Early Life
I was born on 26 August 1910, Gonxha Agnese Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (meaning 'rosebud' in Albanian). I was the youngest child in my family from shkoder, Albania, I was born to Nikolle and drana Bojaxhiu. My father, who was involved in Albanian politices, he died in 1919 when I was only 8 years old. After my fathers death, My mother raised My as a roman Catholic. When I was 12 I was convinced that I should commit To a RE life.I left home when I was 18 to join the sister of Loreto as a missonariy. I have never seen my mother or sister again.
The photo on my left is of my sister Age, my brother Lozer and myself. We were a beautiful, united family.
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