Quote of the day by Mother Teresa: 'The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and feeling of being unloved'

Born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire, Mother Teresa grew up in a deeply religious Catholic family. At 18, she left home for Ireland before eventually moving to India, the country where she would spend most of her life in service. She founded the Missionaries of Charity and devoted herself to caring for the poor, the sick and the abandoned. On 4 September 2016, she was canonised as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and her death anniversary on 5 September is observed as her feast day.

Her words about poverty go beyond money or material things. She once said, “The most terrible poverty is loneliness, and the feeling of being unloved". She reminds us that emotional suffering can cut deeper than physical hardship. A person may have food, shelter and comfort, yet still feel empty without connection and care. In everyday life, this quote urges us to look around and notice those who may be silently struggling. A kind word, time spent listening, or a simple act of compassion can ease a loneliness that no wealth can fix.

About Mother Teresa

In 1950, Mother Teresa laid the foundation of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, now Kolkata. What began as a small religious congregation focused on serving “the poorest of the poor” in the city’s slums soon grew into a global humanitarian movement. The order expanded steadily over the decades and, by 2012, was active in more than 133 countries.




More than 4,500 nuns were running homes for people suffering from HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, along with soup kitchens, dispensaries, mobile clinics, orphanages and schools. Beyond the traditional vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, members of the congregation also pledged a fourth vow: to offer wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.

Recognition in India

Her work did not go unnoticed in India. Under her birth name, Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, she was issued a diplomatic passport by the Indian government. She received the Padma Shri in 1962 and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1969. In 1980, she was honoured with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award.



In 1991, the Senate of Serampore College, recognised as the country’s first modern university, conferred upon her an honorary Doctorate of Divinity during the registrarship of D. S. Satyaranjan. Her life and service were later chronicled in an official biography written by Navin Chawla and published in 1992, capturing the journey of a woman whose mission crossed borders, faiths and generations.