ABSTRACT

Mother Teresa was a Roman Catholic nun who obtained Indian citizenship while devoting her life to serving the poorest of the poor. From Calcutta, in the state of West Bengal, she created and led a worldwide organization titled the Missionaries of Charity that operated over 600 missions in 123 countries at the time of her death in 1997. Mother Teresa and her organization provided caring service and dignity to the destitute, sick, orphaned, and dying without any concern for their religious beliefs. During her life, she received countless awards including the Nobel Peace Prize and India’s highest civilian honor. Gallup polls consistently found Mother Teresa to be the most admired person in the United States.