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A day to remember that love becomes real when it is shared through action

On 5 September, we join the global community in celebrating the International Day of Charity, established by the United Nations in honour of Mother Teresa, whose life was a testimony of mercy and love in action.

For us at Sisters Hospitallers, this day carries a special meaning. Our mission is rooted in the same spirit of service that Mother Teresa embodied: welcoming, caring for, and dignifying every person, especially the most vulnerable. Charity is not something distant, it is what we live daily in our hospitals, care centres, and communities. It is expressed in every act of listening, in professional care given with tenderness, and in the commitment to bring hope and dignity to those in need.

The UN reminds us that charity strengthens societies and uplifts those at the margins. As Sisters Hospitallers, we see this truth in action every day: when a patient receives attentive care, when families find support, when someone forgotten feels welcomed. These are the quiet but powerful acts of Hospitality in Action that make charity visible.

How you can join us in living this day:

Pray with us for those who dedicate their lives to serving others.

Support our mission by spreading the message of hospitality and care.

Live charity in small daily gestures, listening, encouraging, or offering your time to someone in need.

This International Day of Charity is a reminder that we are all called to bring love into action. At Sisters Hospitallers, we renew our commitment to walk this path every day, serving with mercy and charity at the heart of our hospitality.

The beginnings of this celebration

The International Day of Charity was established with the objective of sensitizing and mobilizing people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities. In recognition of the role of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering within and among nations, as well as of the efforts of charitable organizations and individuals, the General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution A/RES/67/105 designated the 5th of September, as the International Day of Charity.

The date of 5 September was chosen in order to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 “for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace.”

Mother Teresa, the renowned nun and missionary, was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910. In 1928 she went to India, where she devoted herself to helping the destitute. In 1948 she became an Indian citizen and founded the order of Missionaries of Charity in Kolkota (Calcutta) in 1950, which became noted for its work among the poor and the dying in that city.

For over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity’s expansion, first in India and then in other countries, including hospices and homes for the poorest and homeless. Mother Teresa’s work has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world and she has received a number of awards and distinctions, including the Nobel Peace Prize. Mother Teresa died on September 5th 1997, at 87 years of age.