St. Mother Teresa
1910-1997
📅 Feast Day: Sep 5
📖 Life Timeline
1910
Born in August 26, 1910 AD, Skopje, Yugoslavia
1910
Born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on Aug 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia (then Ottoman Empire) to Albanian parents
1946
t St Mary's School in Calcutta, India
1952
day' (Home of the Pure) for the dying homeless in 1952
1979
120+ countries
1997
Died — September 5, 1997 AD, Calcutta, India
2016
Canonized — 2016 by Pope Francis
✝ Biography
Born Anjeze Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on Aug 26, 1910 in Skopje, Macedonia (then Ottoman Empire) to Albanian parents. Entered the Loreto Sisters in Ireland at 18, taking the name Teresa after St Teresa of Lisieux. Taught at St Mary's School in Calcutta, India. On Sep 10, 1946 while traveling to Darjeeling, she experienced a 'call within a call'—to leave the convent and serve the poorest of the poor in the streets. Founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 with 18 sisters. Opened 'Nirmal Hriday' (Home of the Pure) for the dying homeless in 1952. Expanded to homes for lepers, orphans, and the aged. By her death the order had 450+ missions in 120+ countries. Received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Known for saying: 'Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.' Died Sep 5, 1997. Canonized in 2016 by Pope Francis.
🛡 Patronage
Patron of: The poor, the homeless, the dying, missionaries, and those who serve the marginalized.
💬 Words of the Saint
Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.
📜 Key Facts
Born
August 26, 1910, Skopje, Macedonia (then Ottoman Empire)
Died
September 5, 1997 AD, Calcutta, India
Feast Day
Sep 5
Canonized
2016 by Pope Francis
🕊 Legacy
Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity serve in 131 countries. She brought global attention to extreme poverty. Her 48 years of spiritual darkness — revealed after her death — made her a patron of those who doubt. She is one of the most recognizable saints in history.
📜 Personal Writings
Read excerpts from the saint's own words — their personal letters, spiritual writings, and teachings.
📖 Letters
On Doing Small Things with Great Love
God has not called me to do great things, but to do small things with great love. Let us not seek to be great, but to be faithful. Let us not seek to do much, but to do what we are called to do with all our heart. The greatest thing in the world is to love and to be loved by God.
— St. Mother Teresa
📖 Letters
On the Inner Darkness
The Lord has called me to be the darkness of the world, to suffer for the sake of those who do not know Him, do not love Him, do not serve Him. In this darkness, I have found the greatest joy, for I am united with Jesus in His suffering. I am happy to suffer for Him, for He has suffered for me.
— St. Mother Teresa
Browse Other Saints
St. Mary, Mother of God
Jan 1
St. Joseph
Mar 19
St. Francis of Assisi
Oct 4
St. Therese of Lisieux
Oct 1
St. Padre Pio
Sep 23
St. Augustine of Hippo
Aug 28
St. Catherine of Siena
Apr 29
St. John of the Cross
Dec 14
St. Teresa of Avila
Oct 15
St. Maximilian Kolbe
Aug 14
St. Faustina Kowalska
Oct 5
St. Thomas Aquinas
Jan 28
St. Benedict
Jul 11
St. Ignatius of Loyola
Jul 31
St. Joan of Arc
May 30
St. Peter the Apostle
Jun 29
St. Paul the Apostle
Jun 29
St. John the Apostle
Dec 27
St. Stephen, First Martyr
Dec 26
St. John the Baptist
Jun 24
St. Jude Thaddeus
Oct 28
St. Ignatius of Antioch
Dec 17
St. Polycarp
Feb 23
St. Lawrence
Aug 10
St. Cecilia
Nov 22
St. Agnes
Jan 21
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity
Mar 7
St. Sebastian
Jan 20
St. Valentine
Feb 14
St. Monica
Aug 27
St. Anthony the Great
Jan 17
St. Ambrose of Milan
Dec 7
St. Jerome
Sep 30
St. Gregory the Great
Mar 12
St. Martin of Tours
Nov 11
St. Basil the Great
Jan 2
St. Gregory Nazianzen
May 9
St. John Chrysostom
Jan 27
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
Mar 18
St. Patrick
Mar 17
St. Christopher
Jul 25
St. Blaise
Feb 3
St. Helen
May 18
St. Scholastica
Feb 10
St. Columba
Jun 9
St. Brigid of Kildare
Feb 1
St. Dymphna
May 15
St. Anselm of Canterbury
Apr 21
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Jun 20
St. Hildegard of Bingen
Sep 17
St. Dominic
Aug 8
St. Clare of Assisi
Aug 11
St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Nov 17
St. Rita of Cascia
May 22
St. Nicholas of Tolentino
Sep 10
St. Zita
Apr 28
St. Margaret of Cortona
Feb 22
St. Lidwina of Schiedam
Jul 15
St. Catherine of Genoa
Sep 15
St. Catherine of Bologna
Mar 9
St. Francis of Paola
Apr 2
St. Casimir
Mar 4
St. Stanislaus of Krakow
May 8
St. Vincent Ferrer
Apr 5
St. Philip Benizi
Aug 8
St. Clare of Montefalco
Aug 27
St. Elizabeth of Portugal
Jul 3
St. Richard of Chichester
Apr 10
St. Francis Xavier
Dec 3
St. Teresa of Jesus
Oct 15
St. Francis de Sales
Jan 24
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Dec 13
St. Philip Neri
May 26
St. John of God
Mar 8
St. Francis Borgia
Oct 10
St. Robert Bellarmine
Sep 17
St. Stanislaus Kostka
Oct 15
St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Jun 21
St. Camillus de Lellis
Jul 14
St. Martin de Porres
Nov 3
St. Benedict the Moor
Apr 15
St. Mariana de Jesús
May 21
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
Oct 16
St. Alphonsus Liguori
Aug 1
St. John Vianney (Curé of Ars)
Aug 4
St. Gerald Majella
Oct 16
St. Isidore the Laborer
May 15
St. Vincent de Paul
Sep 27
St. Louise de Marillac
Mar 15
St. Kateri Tekakwitha
Apr 17
St. Andrew of Corsica
Jan 9
St. Benedict Joseph Labre
Jul 16
St. John Bosco (Don Bosco)
Jan 31
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
Jan 4
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Jul 13
St. Damien of Molokai
Apr 15
St. Anthony Mary Claret
Oct 24
St. Gemma Galgani
Jun 11
St. Maria Goretti
Jul 6
St. Pius X
Aug 21
St. John XXIII
Sep 11
St. John Paul II
Oct 22
St. Oscar Romero
Mar 14
St. Josemaría Escrivá
Jun 26
St. Charles Lwanga
Jun 3
St. Kizito
Jun 3
St. Andrew Dung Lac
Nov 24
St. Gianna Beretta Molla
Apr 28
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Nov 15
St. Katharine Drexel
Mar 3
St. Junipero Serra
Jul 1
St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara
Jan 6
St. Therese of the Andes
Oct 13
St. Edith Stein
Aug 9
St. Antonia D'Amburgo
Jan 23
St. John Neumann
Jan 5
St. Felix of Cantalice
May 18
St. John Fisher
Jun 22
St. Thomas More
Jul 6
St. John of Capistrano
Oct 23
St. Charles Borromeo
Nov 4
St. Peter Canisius
Dec 21
St. Anthony of Padua
Jun 13
St. John Eudes
Aug 19
St. Irenaeus of Lyons
June 3
St. Athanasius the Great
May 2
St. Cyprian of Carthage
September 16
St. Nicholas of Myra
December 6
St. George
April 23
St. Albert the Great
November 15
St. Bonaventure
July 15
St. Peter Damian
February 21
St. Charles de Foucauld
January 1
St. Zélie Martin
November 28
St. Pope Paul VI
September 21
St. Pope Pius XII
October 9
St. John Paul I
September 26
St. Gregory of Nyssa
September 10
St. Hilary of Poitiers
January 13
St. Caesarius of Arles
August 27
St. Caesarius of Heisterbach
April 25
St. Margaret of Scotland
November 16
St. Wenceslas
September 28
St. Cunegunda
March 3
St. Benedict of Aniane
February 11
St. Adam, First Man
Dec 20
St. Eve, First Woman
Dec 20
St. Abel, First Martyr
Aug 2
St. Enoch, The Walker with God
Nov 12
St. Noah, Builder of the Ark
Feb 6 (Oct 9 in East)
St. Abraham, Father of Faith
Sep 9
St. Sarah, Matriarch of Promise
Sep 9
St. Isaac, Child of Promise
Oct 29
St. Rebekah, Chosen Bride
Oct 29
St. Jacob, Father of the Twelve Tribes
Oct 29
St. Rachel, Beloved Wife
Oct 29
St. Joseph of Arimathea (OT Joseph)
Apr 1
St. Moses, Lawgiver and Prophet
Sep 4
St. Aaron, First High Priest
Sep 4
St. Joshua, Son of Nun
Jan 1
St. Ruth, Moabite Convert
Feb 29
St. Samuel, Last Judge and Prophet
Aug 20
St. Hannah, Mother of Samuel
Sep 14
St. David, Shepherd King
Jan 9 (Jun 24 in some calendars)
St. Solomon, Wise King
Jan 26
St. Elijah, The Thunder Prophet
Jul 20
St. Elisha, Successor of Elijah
Dec 18
St. Job, Patient Sufferer
Nov 22
St. Jeremiah, Weeping Prophet
Sep 14
St. Baruch, Scribe of Jeremiah
Aug 30
St. Ezekiel, Gatekeeper Prophet
Dec 30
St. Daniel, Interpreter of Dreams
Nov 17
Sts. Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael (Three Young Men)
Sep 15
St. Esther, Deliverer of the Jews
Mar 16
St. Judith, Widow Heroine
Feb 10
St. Tobias, Faithful Pilgrim
Mar 17
St. Jonah, Prophet in the Fish
Jan 27
St. Zechariah, Priest and Father of John the Baptist
Sep 23
St. Simeon, The Righteous Elder
Feb 2
St. Anna (Hannah), Prophetess
Feb 2