St Teresa of Calcutta
At the age of 12 Years old (Agnes) Mother Teresa had the call from God to enter a religious life.
At 18 years old she became a Nun, joining the sisters of Loreto in Dublin. A year later she travelled to India where she was assigned to teach in St Marys High School for Girls.
Mother Teresa taught for 17 years and worked her way up to be the Principle of the school.
It was after this time she had a second calling from God. The calling told her to embark as a missionary. However, Mother Teresa had made a vowel not leave her convent or teaching.
This meant she had to battle for official approval in order to follow her calling. Eventually, she received approval and established an open air school and a care home for the sick in the slums of Calcutta.
In 1971 Mother Teresa travelled to New York City and opened an American based house of Charity. She travelled back again in 1985 and opened a 2nd care home called Gift of Love, a home for people suffering with HIV and AIDS.
During the lifetime of Mother Teresa, The Pope had bestowed the Decree of Praise upon the Missionaries of Charity, which prompted Mother Teresa to begin expanding internationally. By the time of her death in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity numbered more than 4,000, with 610 foundations in 123 countries around the world.