to church almost everyday. It was her family's generosity, carefor the poor and the less fortunate that made a great impact on youngMother Teresa's life.By the age of 12, she had made up her mind, she realized that hervocation was aiding the poor. At age 18, she then decided to become anun, and traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to join the Sisters of Loretto.After about a year in Ireland, she then leaves to join the Lorettoconvent in the northeast Indian city of Darjeeling, where she spends 17years teaching and being principal of St. Mary's high school inCalcutta.In 1946, Mother Teresa's life is changed forever. While riding a trainto the mountain town of Darjeeling to recover from suspectedtuberculosis, on the 10th of September, she said that she received acalling from God "to serve among the poorest of the poor." Less then ayear later she gets permission from the Catholic Church to leave herorder and move to Calcutta's slums to set up her first school."Sister Agnes" who was a former student, becomes Mother Teresa's firstfollower. Others soon follow, and papal approval arrives to create areligious order of nuns called the Missionaries of Charity. Thefoundation is celebrated on Oct. 7 1950, the feast of the Holy Rosary.To identify herself with the poor she chooses to wear a plain whitesari with a blue border and a simple cross pinned to her left shoulder.Their mission is as she would say when she accepted the Nobel peaceprize: "to care for the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled,the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved,uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to thesociety and are shunned by everyone."With the help of Calcutta officials she converts a portion of theabandoned temple to Kali, the Hindu goddess of death and destructioninto Kalighat Home for the Dying, where even the poorest people woulddie with dignity. Soon after she opens up Nirmal Hriday ("Pure Heart"),a home for th...
