Skopje is marking 116 years since the birth of Mother Teresa, with a series of commemorative events beginning Wednesday in the city where the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was born. The first tribute took place in the morning with the laying of flowers at the memorial plaque marking the location of her former family home in central Skopje. The original house once stood near what is now Macedonia Square, while the plaque preserves the memory of the historic location. The first delegation was led by Bekim Sali, Minister for European Affairs and First Deputy Prime Minister, who spoke about Mother Teresa’s connection to Skopje and the humanitarian message that made her known around the world.
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910, in Skopje. She spent her early childhood in the city before leaving at the age of 18 to pursue her religious vocation. Although the family home where she was born no longer exists, her connection to Skopje remains visible through several landmarks. The nearby Mother Teresa Memorial House, opened in 2009, preserves artifacts and memories connected with her life and stands close to the former Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, where she was baptized. The memorial has since become one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks and attracts visitors from Macedonia and abroad.
The commemoration will continue for around ten days, with activities planned throughout Skopje to honor Mother Teresa and the humanitarian values associated with her legacy. She later became one of the most recognizable humanitarian figures of the 20th century after founding the Missionaries of Charity, an organization dedicated to helping people living in poverty and those who were sick or abandoned. Her work received international recognition, most notably with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She was canonized by Pope Francis in 2016 and is recognized by the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.
For Skopje, the anniversary is also an opportunity to highlight the city’s connection to a woman whose name became known across the world. It was here that Mother Teresa was born and spent her formative years before beginning the journey that would eventually lead to her international humanitarian work. The flowers placed at the memorial plaque on August 26 once again brought attention to that historic connection, while the events planned over the coming days will give residents and visitors an opportunity to learn more about her life and legacy. 116 years after her birth, Skopje continues to remember Mother Teresa not only as a global humanitarian figure, but also as a woman whose story began in the Macedonian capital.
