The greatest Indian woman in history.

[Mech]

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Mother Teresa



Mother Teresa - God's gift to humanity - dedicated a major part of her life to serve the poor and destitute. Born as an Albanian, getting an Indian nationality later on, she became the Mother of the sick, destitute as well as impoverished. The Roman Catholic nun was the founder of Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta in India. All through her life, Mother Teresa helped and served people suffering from various incurable diseases, affected by natural calamities and those unwanted by the society. Love, humanity and helping others selflessly were her reasons to live on Earth.

Childhood
Mother Teresa was the youngest child of Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu and was originally named 'Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu Ans'. Agnes received her first communion at the age of five. From her childhood, she attended prayers and devoted herself in the worship of the Almighty. When Agnes was eight years old, her father died, because of which, the family faced financial crisis. Drane Bojaxhiu, then, assumed the dual role - of being a mother and a father - and helped her children develop a good character. Under the influence and guidance of her mother and a priest, Agnes decided to carry out missionary work.

Career
Agnes decided to become a Catholic nun, in order to do missionary work and spread the message of love and compassion in the world. In 1928, she became a Catholic nun and changed her name from Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Teresa. Later on, she joined the Irish order 'The Sisters of Loretto'. In order to carry out missionary work in India, she was sent to Calcutta on 6th January 1929, where she was appointed as a teacher at St. Mary's High School. Sister Teresa became Mother Teresa on 24th May 1937, when she made final Profession of Vows to become the ‘Spouse of Jesus for Eternity’. She continued to work as a teacher. In 1944, she was made the Principal of the school.

Service
Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School from 1931 to 1948. The condition of poor people outside the convent made such a deep impact on her that she decided to serve the destitute. In 1948, she was granted permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and take on the task of serving the poor slum dwellers in Calcutta. Although she had no funds, it was her determination that kept her going. With strong faith on the Divine Providence, she started an open-air school for slum children. Soon, she was joined by volunteer helpers. Financial assistance started pouring in. This made it possible for Mother Teresa to extend the scope of her social service.

Mother Teresa’s work was not limited to teaching the poor children; she also educated the adults. As she traveled across the slum areas of Calcutta, she noticed that there was a lack of basic facilities, such as hospitals and clinics, for the poor. Hence, she learnt some basic medication techniques and started giving treatment to those who could not afford medication. Her efforts influenced her former pupils to form a group known as ‘Missionaries of Charity’. The group soon started a facility wherein poor people, who were dying on the streets, were brought and taken care of. The service inspired people to join the noble cause and donate funds for the organization working under Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa made use of the donations and thousands of missionaries who had joined her, for the establishment of several centers for poor and needy people across the world. In 1980, she started Homes for people with no one to look after them, people suffering from various incurable diseases, prostitutes, drug addicts and orphans. One of her most significant works was the establishment of center for AIDS patients in 1985, wherein thousands of patients were provided shelter. The Missionaries of Charity was officially recognized as an International Association, on March 29, 1969. By the beginning of 1990s, the number of co-workers had increased manifold and there were about a million of them, working in about 40 countries across the world.

Global Recognition
Mother Teresa’s service to humanity received worldwide recognition. She stood as the icon of peace, love and compassion. Her determination to serve the poor and needy fetched her about 124 prestigious awards, including 'Padmashree Award' (in 1962 from the President of India), 'John F. Kennedy International Award (1971), 'Bharat Ratna' , 'Order of Merit' from Queen Elizabeth, 'Nobel Peace Prize’ (1979), The Pope John XXIII Peace Prize', 'Medal of Freedom' (the highest US Civilian award) and many more.

Last Years Of Life
During the last years of her life, despite facing several health problems, Mother Teresa continued to serve the poor and needy and work for her Society and Church. By 1997, Mother Teresa’s Sisters numbered nearly 4000, working in about 610 foundations in 123 countries across the world. Her newly-elected successor was appointed the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, in March 1997. After meeting Pope John Paul II, she returned to Calcutta, where she spent her last weeks receiving visitors and giving instructions to her Sisters.

Death and Post Death
The death of Mother Teresa was a huge loss to humanity. She departed from this world, in Calcutta, on 5th September 1997, when she was 87 years old. On 19th October 2003, Pope John Paul II beatified Mother Teresa. The beatification, which took place in Rome, marked the first step of her sainthood.

[Nair saab]

I Respect her ... Indeed a Great women ... Some So called Indian Women Should learn from Her life Before Setting out Herself to Rule India...

1 question to Mech is this thread only for Mother Teresa or all the Great women in Indian History ...

[Mech]

[ZABASHO]

I never really got the people who do good things in the name of God rather than doing good for the sake of it, for the sake of humanity. Anyways she did help the needy more than any other and kudos to her!

[phylumchordata]

She opposed use of modern medical science and beleived in weird cures and holy water.. she opposed contraception and worked to blanket WESTs misdeed from Bhopal Gas Tragedy to Guatemala Tragedy.

[Mech]

I never really got the people who do good things in the name of God rather than doing good for the sake of it, for the sake of humanity. Anyways she did help the needy more than any other and kudos to her!

There is always the danger that we may just do the work for the sake of the work. This is where the respect and the love and the devotion come in - that we do it to God, to Christ, and that's why we try to do it as beautifully as possible. ~ Mother Theresa


Some other quotes by her :

There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things that we could use.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies

I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn't touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God.


Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.

[Rajaraja Chola]

She did a great deal of help to abondoned kids...
Whether she did in the name of god or not, what really matters is the fact that she had helped many in her life !!
Great women indeed !!
But we cannot call her greatest women in india..
I like Indira Gandhi, rani lakshmi bai etc too

[Mech]

She opposed use of modern medical science and beleived in weird cures and holy water.. she opposed contraception and worked to blanket WESTs misdeed from Bhopal Gas Tragedy to Guatemala Tragedy.

Hell's angel ? Sir, she has done far more to alleviate poverty and evils of castiesm in India than ANYONE else in our entire 65 years of history. Mother Theresa relied on modern medicines and medical practices to care for the poor.

About the Bhopal tragedy, condemning anyone is not her job. In her entire life she has never condemned anyone for anything. She does what she does and no more, and that is helping the poor, the sick and the unwanted.

[Mech]

She received numerous awards which includes but not limited to, the Bharat ratna, padmashree and the NOBEL Prize. Now this is a woman who was under intense public scrutiny. Do you folks really think that if she 'relied on holy water and weird cures' she would ever be recognised by these awards ?

Not to mention , these were given at a time when ' exposing religion ' was the fad.

I Respect her ... Indeed a Great women ... Some So called Indian Women Should learn from Her life Before Setting out Herself to Rule India...

1 question to Mech is this thread only for Mother Teresa or all the Great women in Indian History ...

I personally consider mother theresa the greatest Indian woman. However, you are free to highlight others if you feel they too need to be represented here.

[Nair saab]

I personally consider mother theresa the greatest Indian woman. However, you are free to highlight others if you feel they too need to be represented here.

According to U... But for others the Opinion may Change...



For me Savitribai Phule... who Faced Stone pelters While took up the Task of Teaching Women & Untouchables ...

[janon]

Hitchens on Mother Teresa « how to play alone

The fanatic, fraudulent Mother Teresa. - Slate Magazine

[Android]

I consider Rani Lakshmi bai as the greatest woman in Indian history

[Rig Vedic]

She was indeed a respectable personality but calling her the greatest Indian woman in history is going way overboard.

She used to hang out with some really despicable characters - this is about one of them:

For He Has Sinned - San Francisco - SF Weekly

A new lawsuit sheds light on the S.F. years of Mother Teresa's spiritual adviser – who is also one of the Jesuit order's most notorious convicted pedophiles

Nevertheless I do respect her good work, and one thing she has not been accused of, as far as I know, is seeking converts through unethical means.

[jha]

I consider Rani Lakshmi bai as the greatest woman in Indian history

1857 really made her a symbol of greatness...I wonder what would have happened if British had accepted her plea to not attack Jhansi and make it safe for Britishers..

Anyway she died a glorious death and is indeed a great example of Valour..If I am not wrong she still features in most hated person's list in UK..

Mother Teresa was a great woman indeed but I wont call her the greatest. But thats just my opinion.

[Android]

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Other great womens in indian history who i consider comparable to jhansi ki rani are Maharani Tarabai and Ahilyabai Holkar and Indira Gandhi