Teresa of Kolkata: A radical humanitarian

Mother Teresa, the most recent Catholic saint, is, indeed, a saint for all. Catholic, or not, people around the world know Mother Teresa of Kolkata as a woman who gave her life to tending to the abandoned and desperate. The Missionaries of Charity, an order founded in 1950 by the humble yet strong-willed Albanian nun to give "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor" is seen throughout the world as practicing the gift of self in service of the poor. Today, there are more than 4,500 Missionaries throughout the world. They run orphanages and hospices as well as centers to care for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor and homeless, and victims of floods, epidemics and famine in more than 100 countries around the world.

Saints of the Catholic Church are generally considered role models for a Christian life. There are more than 10,000 saints recognized by the Church – at least one with whom every variety of human personality can relate and imitate. There are, of course, some whose lives and saintliness resonate with only Catholics. Some of those with wider appeal, such as Saints George, Christopher, and Valentine appear to be more folklore than real. But there are certain Catholic saints whose real life examples reach far beyond the limits of Christian identity. Their lives are a testament to what it means to be fully human in a relational way.