Her Journey

This little girl grew up to be a woman regarded by many as a living saint. By the time of her death, through her actions and example, she had influenced and affected the lives of millions. In a world increasingly menaced by political and civil strife, disease and wars, many people believed that this woman showed a way - quite outside the corrupt world of politics and the self-interst of multinational companies - to help the poor and disadvantaged of the world.


Agnes was born on August 26, 1910, in Skopje, part of Serbia. She had a brother, Lazarr and a sister, Age. She was born into a wealthy family. Her dad, Kole was a great man but died when she was young. It was up to her mother, Drana, to look after her three children. Agnes's mum was a lovely lady and often used to invite the homeless into her home for dinner.Agnes was often sick as a girl, so when she was sick in bed, she would read for hours and later became the top student in her class.
When she became a teenager she also became the top leader in the "Catholic Society for Girls". They went around lecturing, having meetings, and planning walks. In one lecture the girls heard about about Catholic missionaries working in other countries. When Agnes heard about this, she thought about becoming a a missionary and after years of praying she made up her mind that she was going to be one. After her decision she asked her local priest how to become a missionary in India. She also was told to join a group of nuns in Ireland who worked in parts of India. As she stayed with the nuns she began mastering the English language and changed her name to "Sister Mary Teresa of the Child Jesus". Mother Teresa then became a nun and traveled around Asia helping the poor children, adults and elderly.One day Mother Teresa found an old woman dying on the steps of a hospital. The woman was too weak even to brush away the rats that were starting to eat her feet. Mother Teresa went inside and argued with the hospital officials until they found a bed for the woman so she that she could die peacefully.





In 1971 she was awarded no less than three - the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, the Good Samaritan Award and the Joseph P Kennedy Foundation Award. In 1972 her adopted country, India, gave the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding award. In 1973 the Duke of Edinburgh praised her as the first person to receive the Templeton Award for "Progress in Religion":-
"The sheer goodness which shines through Mother Teresa's life and work can only inspire humility, wonder and admiration - and what more is there to be said when the deeds speak so loudly for themselves?"
In 1979 Mother Teresa received the most prestigious prize of them all - the Nobel Peace Prize. When she went to Olso, the Norwegian capital to recieve her award she told the prize comittee:-
"Peraonally I am unworthy. I accept in the name of the poor because I believe that by giving me the prize they have recognized the presence of the poor in the world."













"Each person has a road to follow that is his own,

and he must follow that road."



Mother Teresa