Clad in a cheap white sari with a blue border Mother Teresa ventured alone, undaunted helping the sick and dying. Through her dedication she not only served the people, but also inspired others to follow in her footsteps. Agnes Bojaxhiu becomes Mother Teresa Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, who came to be known to the world by the name of Mother Teresa, was born in Skopje in Macedonia, the former republic of Yugoslavia, on August 26, 1910. She was a Christian of Albanian parentage. At the time of her birth the area was under the mainly Islamic Ottoman Empire. At the early age of 12, she had already begun to feel the stirrings of a vocation that was to make her name a revered one throughout the globe. At 18 Agnes finally left her home to join the Sisters of Our Lady of Loreto in Dublin, Ireland and it was clear that her final destination was India. At Dublin Agnes learnt to speak English and received the religious training that would equip her for her new life as a nun. It is at this time that she chose the name of Sister Teresa in memory of Sister Therese of Lisieux. On December 1, 1928 she left Dublin for the country of her dreams, India. The making of a nun She arrived at Darjeeling a year later where she completed her training. In the year 1931, Mother Teresa took her first vows and was sent to a hospital to care for the sick, starving and helpless mothers. It was from this place that she drew the inspiration for her lifework. In 1937, Mother Teresa, a full-fledged nun was posted at a school in Calcutta. The slums near her school evoked her compassion and when she left for her retreat to Darjeeling her head was full of the sights she had seen. It was clear to her that the slums are where she belonged and not behind the four walls of a convent. The Call of God By August 1948, she left the convent for Patna where she trained as a nurse in order to look after the sick and dying. Fully armed Mother proceeded to Calcutta to take up her mission. By then she had also got an Indian citizenship. Clad in a cheap white sari with a blue border she ventured alone, undaunted helping the sick and dying. Soon a Bengali girl inspired by her example joined her and in a year's time there were seven voluntary sisters. Today, there are more than 4,000 and it speaks volumes for the love and veneration that Mother Teresa has inspired in her followers. A rare human being, Mother Teresa showed an increasingly materialistic world that the work is its own reward. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and she accepted it much against her will on behalf of the 'poorest of the poor'. By the time she breathed her last on September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa had left behind a legacy of love and sacrifice that is ably carried on by her successor Sister Nirmala. The Successor Sister Nirmala, aged 63, is Mother Teresa's successor as Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity. Born as Nirmala Joshi she converted to Christianity at the age of 17 and joined Mother Teresa. She studied law at the insistence of Mother Teresa who took her along during her tours abroad. Mother saw in Sister Nirmala signs of energy, dedication and charisma and felt her to be her natural successor. Sister Nirmala herself is more modest and feels that no one can replace Mother Teresa, least of all herself, but she will endeavour to carry on her traditions to the best of her ability. She has certainly vindicated Mother's faith in her and the Missionaries of Charity are a flourishing concern with their numbers increasing day by day.(Read more about Mother Teresa's missionary in our Ashrams Section.) - Sujata S Archive