August 26, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) joins millions of people around the world today to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of Mother Teresa’s birth.

Mother Teresa was born in Skopje, Macedonia on August 26, 1910 as Agnes Bojaxhiu Gonxha.  Her humble beginnings instilled in her a sense of duty towards the poor and the sick, which she spent her entire life performing with dignity.  She began her journey by accepting the vows of a nun in 1931.  From 1931-1944, she taught geography and catechism at St. Mary High School in Kolkata in the monastery of the Loreto Order.  Although she enjoyed her work as a teacher, the rampant poverty outside the school walls bothered her profoundly.

By special dispensation from Pope Pius XII on April 12, 1948, Mother Teresa left her post as a professor and began her mission in the squalid streets of Calcutta.  She replaced her nun habit with a simple white cotton sari with blue stripes and moved to the slums of to live among the poor.  There, she offered school lessons in the open air and she opened kitchens for the hungry, though often she had to beg for food and supplies.  Her lifelong work among these least fortunate had earned her more than 700 awards in her life, and worldwide acclaim as a messenger of peace and hope.

She brought that message along during her four visits to Skopje, and appealed to the world for solidarity after the disastrous earthquake of 1963.  Her message reverberated in many political, business, and governmental circles.  The donations she gathered built orphanages, dispensaries, homes for lepers, and many poor houses across India and the world.  She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 as recognition of all her charitable efforts, and for being a beacon of hope for millions.  Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.

To commemorate her birth and her life, the Parliament of Macedonia will hold a formal session to mark the anniversary, and will hand out state awards named in her honor.  An exhibition titled "100 Portraits of Mother Teresa" by artist Miftar Memeti will be opened, while a birthday vigil will take place later in the day.  A monograph "Be Blessed, Prayers and Messages" by Stojan Trencevski will be launched and a documentary "Following the Footsteps of Mother Teresa" will be screened in the frameworks of an array of activities marking the 100th year anniversary of her birth.

Visit the Mother Teresa Memorial House on your next visit to Macedonia, click here to learn more: http://www.memorialhouseofmotherteresa.org/

Press Release prepared by UMD member Aleksandar Popovski. 

Founded in 2004, United Macedonian Diaspora is a leading international non-governmental organization addressing the interests and needs of Macedonians and Macedonian communities throughout the world. 
 
UMD's headquarters are located in Washington, D.C., and it has representatives serving Macedonian communities around the world, including Brussels, Canberra, Chicago, Detroit, Kiev, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Ottawa, Paris, Perth, St. Petersburg, Stuttgart, Sydney, Toronto, and Vienna. 

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