St. Teresa of Jesus

Teresa was born in 1515 in Ávila, Spain. She entered the Carmelites after an unsettled young adulthood and later described years in which illness, distractions and divided commitments made prayer difficult. Her account of those struggles is one reason her spiritual writing remains approachable.

Convinced that Carmelite communities needed a simpler and more prayerful life, she founded reformed convents despite considerable opposition. She worked with St. John of the Cross and wrote The Book of Her Life, The Way of Perfectionand The Interior Castle. She died on October 4, 1582, under a calendar transition that places her memorial on October 15.

Teresa is a Doctor of the Church and traditionally a patron of people with headaches. Her writings treat prayer as a growing relationship with Christ, requiring honesty as well as persistence. Her day invites prayer for people who think their distractions disqualify them from beginning. St. Teresa of Jesus, pray for us!