St' Teresa of Avila

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1515-1582
By Mara Macauley Simon Johnston
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Early Life

• Born near Avila in Castile in the year 1515.
• Daughter of Alonso Sanchez Cpedia and Beatrice
  Devila y Ahumada.
• Early life racked with serious illnesses and
  suffered from failed medical treatments which
  reduced her health to a pitiful state.
• Third daughter of a wealthy upper-class family

St. Teresa writing her doctrine
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Convent Life

• Was sent to a convent when her mother died where
  she became a Carmelite nun.
• She did not live the life of a normal nun.
  During this time, she was flirtatious and
  vivacious with the guests who came to the
  convent.
• She was uneducated. She told others that she was
  taught by the Holy Spirit rather than by an
  academy.
• St. Teresa began to practice meditation and
  became immersed in Gods grace.
• In this time she was granted a number of
  ecstasies and gained a great reputation amongst
  her community.

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The Ecstasies of St. Teresa of Avila

• I saw an angel close by me, on my left side in
  bodily form In his hand a long spear of gold He
  appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into
  my heart The soul is satisfied with nothing less
  than God.

Statue of Teresas Ecstasy
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Contributions to the Church

• One of only three women doctors of the church.
• She believed that God told her to build a
  convent.
• St Teresa founded a convent of perpetual prayer
  called The Discalced Carmelites. She founded 16
  houses for this order.
• The Discalced Carmelites blend the hermit life
  with an element of community. The Carmelites
  pray, eat, and have recreational activities
  together.
• Discalced comes from the Latin word unshod which
  means bare foot or only wearing sandals.

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Final Facts

• St. Teresa of Avila was also known as St. Teresa
  of Jesus.
• Her feast day is October 15th.
• Pope Paul VI proclaimed her a doctor of the
  church in 1970.
• She died of a series of headaches in 1582.

Churchs Art Depiction of St. Teresa
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References

• http//www.karmel.at/eng/teresa.htm
• www.sacred-texts.com/chr/tic/index.htm(cover
  picture)
• http//www.actlab.utexas.edu/chelsea/images/berni
  niTeresa1.jpg (ecstasies)
• www.carmelitedigest.org/history.shtml
  (Discalced Order)
• Text The History of the Church by Armenio.
  Midwest Theological Forum, 2005.
• The Treasury of Womens Saints by Ronda Sola
  Chervin.