Deseret News archives: Mother Teresa, beloved by many, honored by Pope Francis

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.

On Sept. 4, 2016, elevating the “saint of the gutters” to one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors, Pope Francis canonized Mother Teresa, praising her radical dedication to society’s outcasts and her courage in shaming world leaders for the “crimes of poverty they themselves created.”

Agnes Gonxe Bojaxhiu was born in 1910 in Skopje, in what is now Macedonia. In 1928, she became a novitiate in Ireland and took the name Sister Teresa. The next year, she began work in Kolkata, the city formerly known as Calcutta. In 1937, she took her final vows and the name Mother Teresa.

But her path changed in 1946, when she received a “call within a call” from Jesus “to serve him among the poorest of the poor.” She moved to Kolkata’s slums and began her work with the poor, the dying, the orphans.

Among her awards are the Padma Shri award, the Nobel Peace Price and the U.S. Medal of Freedom.

In 1990, she announced her intention to resign and a conclave of sisters was called to choose a successor. In a secret ballot, Mother Teresa was reelected with only one dissenting vote — her own — and withdrew her request to step down.

Mother Teresa’s health declined in the 1990s, and she died on Sept. 5, 1997, and was given a state funeral.

Oh, and she visited Utah in October 1972.

According to a report filed by Michael Patrick O’Brien in the Intermountain Catholic newsletter, Mother Teresa visited Holy Trinity Abbey in Huntsville in mid-October 1972. Per O’Brien, she stayed a few days and visited with some colleagues.

It does not appear that there was any press coverage of her visit in Utah newspapers.

Here are some stories from Deseret News archives about Mother Teresa and her impact on the world:

“ Monument honors Mother Teresa ”

“ Mother Teresa now officially ‘St. Teresa’ ”

“ Mother Teresa often felt alone, abandoned by God ”

“ Significant events in the life of Mother Teresa ”

“ Mother Teresa’s keys to sainthood: sharing poverty and showing mercy ”

“ Mother Teresa was tough and tender ”

“ Mother Teresa leaves lasting legacy of love ”

“ Mother Teresa worked hard to ransom us from prison ”

“ Kolkata remembers Mother Teresa on the eve of sainthood ”