Mother Teresa

Teresa, Mother (1910–97), Roman Catholic nun, Albanian parents, who worked as a missionary in Calcutta, India. For her work with the poor of India, which began in 1950, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1979). The religious order she joined (1928) sent her to India, where she at first worked as a teacher. Her convent later permitted her to work among the poor people of Calcutta (1948), and she became an Indian citizen. She has received global recognition for her work, including the Pope John XXII peace prize (1971) and the Jawaharlal Nehru award for international understanding (1972).