Mother Teresa was a nun and missionary known for her lifelong service to the poor and suffering. In 1928, she joined the Sisters of Loreto and was sent to India, where she taught at a school in Calcutta. In 1948, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation devoted to serving “the poorest of the poor,” providing care for the sick, homeless, and dying. Her work earned her global recognition, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was canonized in 2016.

As a child, I believed I would become a religious sister, and in particular a Missionary of Charity. Something within me longed for a life of service to the poor, of humble but difficult work for the glory of God. Though it was not to be (God called me instead to the humble but difficult work of a mother), Mother Teresa remains a model of selflessness and quiet dignity for me. I hope I captured a glimpse of her beautiful soul with this painting.