Early Days

She was born on 27th August 1910.Her real name was Agnes Gionxhu Bejuxhiu and she was the youngest child of Nikola, a politician, and Drane Bejuxhiu in Skopje in Yugoslavia.

The Decision of nuns

Age 12 - decided on a religious life. Age 18 joined the Sisters of Loretto a

roman catholic order . Age 21 takes first religious vows and chooses the name therse du lisieux after the saint of missionaries .

Working with the poor

On September10th 1964 she got the calling to work with the poor. She began missionary work with the poor of Calcutta. She replaced the loretto habit with a simple white cotton chira with a blue border. In 1948 she took Indian citizenship and opened her first school in Motjhil to serve the homeless and starving. It was difficult at first as there was no money and she had to beg for food and other supplies. She did some medical training in Paris.

Missionaries of Charity

October 7th 1950 Vatican permission to set

up Missionaries of Charity, to care for the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind and lepers. She started with 13 nuns now there are over 4,000

Homes for the poor

1952 opens

Nirmal Hriday [pure heart] for the dying. 1955 opens Nirmala Shishua Bhavan [ immaculate heart] for lost children or children's home. 1957 opens Shanti Nagar [city of peace] a home for lepers. Her order became well known for this work!

Where she helped

1982 siege of 1985 - Ethopia

Beirut

1986 - Chernobyl

1988 - Armenia

Failing health
1983 1st heart attack whilst visiting Pope John

Paul II. 1989 2nd heart attack, fitted with a pace maker. 1992 goes into hospital in USA for pneumonia and heart problems. 1993 In May she broke 3 ribs, In August she suffers from malaria and in September she had surgery for a blocked blood vessel. 1996 In April she fell and broke her collar bone and in August she suffered malarial fever and more heart problems.

The final days

March 13th 1997 she

stepped down as head nun and is replaced by Sister Nirnala.

September 5th 1997

She died of a massive heart attack in Calcutta at the age of 87. She died the day I was born
Her funeral was on the

13th of September 1997. She was given a state funeral

Awards that she got

1962 - Padma shri award 1971 - Pope John XXIII peace prize 1975 - Albert Schweiter international prize 1976 - Pacem in Terris award 1978 1979 1983 1985

Balzon prize Noble Peace Prize Order of Merit Medal of Freedom

1994 - Golden Honour of the Nation [Albania] 1996 - Honorary citizenship of USA

1998 - Pope John Paul II begins the process to make her a saint.