Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. John Egofske (R-Lemont) took time on the House floor to recognize the legacy of Mother Teresa.

He celebrated "her extensive humanitarian charity work" and highlighted the Nobel Peace Prize that she received in 1979.

“As we near the end of Women's History Month and start the beginning of the Holy Week for many of our religious denominations, I want to take a minute to recognize a great woman that truly lived in God's Word,” Egofske said on the House floor. “The work that she did impacted millions of lives. And she was someone we can all look up to and learn from. That woman is Saint Teresa of Calcutta, also known as Mary Teresa. Though she was small in stature, she was very much larger in heart.” 

Mother Teresa, who was born in Macedonia, "dedicated her entire life to serving the sick and the poor." Egofske highlighted how she was able to establish a congregation in 1950, the Missionaries of Charity, "with only a handful of other members." The Missionaries of Charity "grew rapidly and established a leper colony, a nursing home, an orphanage, and many family medical clinics. When she died in 1997, the Missionaries of Charity were numbered over 4000, with thousands of more lay volunteers, complete with 610 foundations located across 123 countries.” 

"She passed away in September of 1997 at the age of 87, and she became a saint in the Catholic Church in September of 2016," Egofske said. "Her famous quotes are timeless and everlasting, such as 'Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it'. So again, I am honored to remember and speak about Mother Teresa, an incredible woman that made life's mission to serve others. So in her memory, let's all have a blessed Holy week.” 

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in North Macedonia in 1910. At 18 she became a nun and thereafter dedicated much of her life to alleviating the suffering of the poor. 

According to her biography on the Nobel Prize website, she received permission from her superiors in 1948 "to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.” She later established the Society of Missionaries which continues its work today all over the world.

Egofske was appointed to the 82nd District in February to replace outgoing House Minority Leader Jim Durkin. He also serves as the Mayor of Lemont and formerly worked as a certified public accountant.

The 82nd District includes all or parts of Western Springs, La Grange, Lemont, Hinsdale, and Burr Ridge, among other towns.