In the heart of Kolkata, India, a woman once walked the narrow streets, her small frame draped in a simple white sari with blue stripes. This woman, known to the world as St. Teresa of Kolkata, or Mother Teresa, dedicated her life to serving the “poorest of the poor,” a phrase that echoes her deep commitment to the marginalized and destitute.
St. Teresa’s journey began in Skopje, in what is now North Macedonia, where she was born on 26th August 1910. At the age of 18, she left her home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. Eventually, she was sent to India, where she taught at a school for girls. But it was on a fateful train ride to Darjeeling in 1946 that she experienced what she called a “call within a call.” She felt compelled to leave the convent and live among the poorest in the slums of Kolkata, providing them with love and care.
Her work began with nothing but faith and a heart full of love. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, an order devoted to serving those who were often forgotten: the sick, the dying, the lepers, and the orphaned. The Missionaries of Charity grew from a small group of twelve members in Kolkata to over 4,500 sisters today, serving in more than 130 countries.
She once said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” This quote has inspired countless individuals, reminding us that true charity begins in our hearts and is manifested in the smallest acts of kindness.
Here in our local community, we have organizations like St. Vincent de Paul who are doing a lot of good work to help those in need of basic necessities of living. We also have the Divine Soup Kitchen, a group that arrives at the compound of Dr. Carmo Gracias Hospital in Margao, every Sunday, feeds the 250-300 poor people gathered there and disappears over an hour later. It started on Christmas day in 1999 when Simon Baretto and his friend drove around the city to collect destitute people and give them a meal. That day they managed to find and feed around ten hungry people. Today, that number has grown to around 300 every week. And the group has also expanded to ten like-minded members.
Mother Theresa’s inspiring life ended peacefully on 5th September 1997. It was a global mourning and thousands of people thronged the streets to pay their last respects… almost like a sea of people flowing from the dam of love she had created.
19 years later, on 4th September 2016, Mother Theresa was canonized by the pope and declared a saint. There were two miraculous healings that were recognized by the Vatican – one in our very own country, in the state of West Bengal and one in Brazil.
Even today her legacy continues to inspire millions around the world to act with love, compassion, and humility.
-Louella S. Dias