Love in Action · Week 1 · Grades 3–5
Guided Notes: St. Teresa of Calcutta
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Teresa of Calcutta
From Agnes to Sister Teresa
Mother Teresa was born on August 26, blank 1, in a city called Skopje. Her name was Agnes, and her family was Albanian and Catholic. Her father died when she was about eight. Her mother often invited poor people to eat with the family.
By age 12, Agnes felt that God wanted her to be a blank 2. At 18 she left home to join the Sisters of Loreto in Ireland. In 1929 she sailed to India and took the name Sister Teresa. For almost 20 years she taught girls in Calcutta.
A new call on a train
On September 10, blank 3, Sister Teresa was riding a train to the mountains. She felt God calling her to leave the school and live among the poorest people. In 1948 she was allowed to go.
She put on a cheap white blank 4 with a blue border, like poor women in India wore. She walked into the slums alone and started a school with no building. She wrote letters in the dirt with a stick. In 1950 the Church approved her new group of sisters, the Missionaries of Charity.
Words to know
Write what each word means.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Missionary | Write your answer |
| Sari | Write your answer |
| Slum | Write your answer |
| Leprosy | Write your answer |
| Canonized | Write your answer |
Quick check
Why did Sister Teresa leave her job as a teacher? Circle one.
- A She wanted to go home to her family
- B The school for girls had to close
- C She felt God calling her to the poorest
- D She won a prize and stopped working
Three parts of one life
Check one box for each.
| Item | Agnes, the girl | Sister Teresa, the teacher | Mother Teresa, with the poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Her mother invited poor people to eat with the family | |||
| She taught geography and history | |||
| She opened a Home for the Dying in 1952 | |||
| At 12 she felt God wanted her to be a missionary | |||
| She became the principal of a school for girls | |||
| She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 | |||
| She opened a home for orphans in 1955 |
Quick check
When she won the Nobel Peace Prize, what did Mother Teresa ask for? Circle one.
- A That the dinner money be given to the poor
- B That a statue of her be built in India
- C That she could meet presidents and kings
- D That her sisters get a bigger house
Think, pair, share
What is one small thing with great love you could do this week? Think of home, school, or a game or group chat. Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “One small thing I could do is ...”“Online, great love could look like ...”“It would matter because ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
Jesus, you are close to people who are poor, sick and alone.
Help us see you in each person we meet.
Teach us to do small things with great love.
St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Mother Teresa died in Kolkata on September 5, 1997, and Pope Francis canonized her on September 4, 2016. Her feast day is September 5.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
Challenge: Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” Pick one person this week, in person or online, and do one small thing with great love for them.