Which Catholic saint received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for humanitarian work in Calcutta?

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Teresa of Calcutta received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for humanitarian work in Calcutta.

Born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje, she joined the Sisters of Loreto and went to India in 1929. After what she described as a call within a call, she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950. The congregation served people who were poor, sick, dying, or abandoned.

She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and donated the prize money to people in need. Pope Francis canonized her on 4 September 2016. Her reputation for service was global, although her institutions and methods also attracted criticism, especially concerning medical care and the handling of donations.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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