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Mother Teresa

Catholic Elementary School With Children, Comes Hope

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Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa died of cardiac arrest on September 6, 1997, at the age of 87 in eastern India. Known to the world as one of the most charitable women in history, her loss is felt mostly by those who benefited from her most - the poor and the ill.

Born in 1910, in a remote corner of former Yugoslavia, she left a prosperous and comfortable home and a loving family, to serve the poor of Calcutta, India. For the first 19 years in India, Mother Teresa taught within the walls of a convent, while Calcutta's streets teemed with destitute war refugees, abandoned children and lepers.

But in 1946, after witnessing a violent eruption of Hindu Muslim rioting, which left 5,000 people dead, Mother Teresa became convinced that God had sent her a message to go out and minister to the city.

To work outside the convent, however, she would need the approval from Rome. After a two-year campaign, she finally persuaded the Church of authenticity in her vision. In 1948, wearing a sari and carrying five rupees in her pocket, Mother Teresa left the convent to live "as an Indian among Indians".

To the sick, for whom she found food and medicine, Mother Teresa was a blessing, to others she was a threat. Hindus, enraged at her plan to open a home for the dying in a former temple, hurled stones at her and her co-workers. Mother Teresa pacified them by sprinkling water from the Ganges River on a dying man's lips, which is an ancient Hindu rite.

As Mother Teresa's organization, the Missionaries of Charity, grew throughout India and the world, she would find herself more adversaries. Her sometimes, controversial beliefs, did not always sit well with everybody. Her mission was not founded on discrimination or forced conversion. Rather she believed that her work was to make of Buddhists, better Buddhists, of Muslims, better Muslims, and of Catholics, better Catholics.

Despite experiencing moments of disappointment, Mother Teresa had many moments of celebration. In 1979, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for upholding the sacredness and dignity of every human being. She prayed with Popes, Presidents, Princes, and Princesses. In all this she was sustained by a deep life of pray and devotion to daily Eucharist.

Many years ago, Saint Frances de Sales wrote: "It take only one good woman to overcome a city". We here believe he could have been writing about Mother Teresa, a fitting model for a City Centre School Community.