Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
People File • Humanitarian

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary known for founding the Missionaries of Charity and for her work with the poor in Kolkata, India.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Mother Teresa was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary who founded the Missionaries of Charity. She received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize and was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.

What it is

Mother Teresa is known for her lifelong dedication to serving the poor and sick in Kolkata, India. She established the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, focusing on care for the most vulnerable, including the dying, orphans, and those with leprosy.

Why it matters

Her work brought global attention to the needs of the destitute and earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She remains a symbol of selfless charity and was formally recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church in 2016, reinforcing her legacy in religious and humanitarian contexts.

Key details

Born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje (then Ottoman Empire), she joined the Sisters of Loreto and moved to India. She died in Calcutta on 5 September 1997. Her birth name and early life reflect her Albanian heritage and later Indian citizenship.

In short

  • Founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata
  • Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
  • Canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016
Canadian angle

Mother Teresa is a globally known humanitarian figure often covered in Canadian classrooms, faith communities, and history curricula as an example of 20th-century charity work and Catholic social service.

Quick questions

What is Mother Teresa best known for?
She is best known for founding the Missionaries of Charity and for her work caring for poor and sick people in Kolkata, India.
Did Mother Teresa win the Nobel Prize?
Yes. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work.
Was Mother Teresa made a saint?
Yes. She was canonized by the Catholic Church in 2016 and is known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.

Sources

  1. Nobel Prize — https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1979/teresa/biographical/
    Supports: Birth name, birth place, and death date
  2. Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mother-Teresa
    Supports: Biography, Missionaries of Charity, Nobel Peace Prize, canonization
  3. Nobel Prize — https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1979/teresa/facts/
    Supports: Nobel Peace Prize, birth and death details, role
  4. Reuters — https://www.reuters.com/article/world/factbox-key-facts-about-mother-teresa-idUSKCN11745T/
    Supports: Biography basics and canonization context