An introduction to religious and spiritual experience

Mother Teresa (1910–1997)
Gonxa Agnes Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje, Macedonia, and lost her 
father at the age of eight. At 18, Gonxa left her home to go to Ireland to 
join the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known as the Sisters of 
Loreto. After a few months there, when she received the name Sister Mary 
Teresa after St Thérèse of Lisieux, she was sent to India and undertook 
her training and First Profession of Vows in Darjeeling. She was then sent 
to Calcutta where she taught at St Mary’s Bengali Medium School for 
girls, eventually becoming principal. On 24 May 1937 she made her Final 
Profession of Vows, becoming known as Mother Teresa. In 1942 she made 
another vow, which remained secret for many years, that she would not 
refuse God anything, whatever might be demanded of her.
Her life changed with an experience on 10 September 1946 on a train 
from Calcutta to Darjeeling, where Mother Teresa was going for a retreat. 
It was a mystical encounter with Jesus Christ and was followed by months 
of conversation with him. Mother Teresa heard what she would later 
refer to as ‘The Voice’. It was Christ’s voice and he begged her to ‘Come, 
be My light’. It was a ‘call within a call’ for her to leave her post and set 
up a mission to the poor. Mother Teresa would call this her Inspiration 
Day. She never revealed the exact nature of her experience, fearing that it 
would thereby lose its sanctity. From then on, she never wavered in her 
conviction that despite her sorrow at leaving the Loreto sisters and her 
fear at not being able to fulfil Christ’s demand, this was what she was to 
do. Her spiritual directors tested her vocation, to ensure that it was indeed 
authentic before she was given permission to proceed.
It took Mother Teresa two years to set up her own religious order, the 
Missionaries of Charity (M. C.), who were to wear the now familiar blue 
and white robes. Her work among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta 
became widely known and in 1979 she was awarded the Nobel Peace 
Prize. In the same year, the Missionaries of Charity – Contemplative, of 
brothers and sisters was established and in 1984, the Charity Fathers. Her 
organization continued to grow and by the time of her death 610 founda-
tions had been set up in 123 different countries. She was beatified 
in 2003.
It was not until after her death that it became known just how she 
struggled with her own faith, feeling a terrible separation from God. This 
is described in her letters, published in 
Mother Teresa, Come Be My Light: 
The Private Writings of the ‘Saint of Calcutta’
edited by Father Brian 
Kolodiejchuck, who knew her well. This alienation began in 1949 or 
1950 and caused her great suffering. It lasted for the rest of her life and 
although over time she was able to come to terms with it, nevertheless, it 

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was a constant source of distress to her. Yet throughout those years of 
darkness, she continued with her work, her own pain enabling her more 
fully to identify with the poor and dying.