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Mar 28, 1515
Teresa was born in Avila, Spain.
Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada was born on 28th March 1515 in Old Castile in the region of Ávila, Spain. Then was later christened on 4th April in the same year. Her family consisted of 12 children, 3 girls and 9 boys. Two years after Teresa was born Luther had started the protestant reformation. +++ -
Jan 1, 1528
Her mother's death.
When Teresa was just 14 years old her mother Beatriz Ahumada died. She later wrote about her loss in these words "As soon as I began to understand how great a loss I had sustained by losing her, I was very much afflicted; and so I went before an image of our Blessed Lady and besought her with many tears that she would vouchsafe to be my mother”. Don Alfonso, her strict but pious father, continued to raise her. +++ -
Jan 1, 1531
Our Lady of grace boarding school and convent for Augustinian nuns.
At the age of 16 Teresa was beginning to rebel so her father thought it would be a good idea to send her to Our Lady of grace boarding school and convent for Augustinian nuns, where young women of her status were being educated. At first she despised it but gradually began to appreciate it due to her growing love for God. After a year and a half of attending the school Teresa become ill and her father decide to bring her back home so she could be properly looked after. +++ -
Nov 2, 1535
The Carmelite convent of Incarnation.
After reading the letters of Saint Jerome she was determined to pursue religious life instead of marriage. But she was unable to receive agreement from her father. This caused a lot of inner conflict for Teresa because she loved her father dearly, but she knew what was right for her. So, on November 2nd 1535 Teresa ran away from home to enter the Carmelite convent of Incarnation in Avila which, at the time already held 140 nuns. +++ -
Jan 1, 1536
Sister Teresa.
In 1536 Teresa become a sister in the Carmelite convent of Incarnation and in 1537 Teresa took the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. +++ -
Aug 15, 1539
Suffering and mental prayer. (1)
Teresa went back to her hometown in 1539, but while she was there on August 15 she suffered a seizure that left her in a coma for 4 days when she had recovered from the coma she found that a grave had been dug out for her due to the fact people had presumed she was dead. Because of the seizure and coma she was left paralyzed in her legs for three years. -
Aug 15, 1539
Suffering and metal prayer. (2)
During these years of suffering she began to do a lot of mental prayer. But she felt unworthy of the grace received in prayer because she was still in constant communication with people in the outside world. Yet still during this time God had begun to visit her in “intellectual visions and locutions”. +++ -
Jan 1, 1558
Restoration of Carmelite life.
Teresa began to think about restoring the Carmelite life to its original observance of strictness, which had begun to relax in the 14th and 15th centuries. Her reform required complete removal so that the nuns could meditate on divine law and, through a prayerful life of penance, exercise what she termed “our vocation of reparation” for the sins of mankind. +++ -
Jan 1, 1560
A vision of ecstasy. (1)
In 1560 Teresa experienced something heavenly this is how she described it in her own words "I saw an angel very near me, towards my left side, in bodily form, which is not usual with me; for though angels are often represented to me, it is only in my mental vision. This angel appeared rather small than large, and very beautiful. His face was so shining that he seemed to be one of those highest angels called seraphs, who look as if all on fire with divine love... -
Jan 1, 1560
A vision of ecstasy. (2)
..."He had in his hands a long golden dart; at the end of the point I thought there was a little fire. And I felt him thrust it several times through my heart in such a way that it passed through my very bowels. And when he drew it out, I thought it pulled them out with it and left me wholly on fire with a great love of God." +++ -
Jan 1, 1562
Opening of first convent.
With Pope Pius IV’s agreement in 1960 she opened her first convent (St Joseph’s) of the Carmelite reformation. At first there was uproar from the community because the convent existed without endowment, but she insisted on poverty and subsistence only through public alms. +++ -
Jan 1, 1567
Eternal friends.
Fr. John Baptist Rossi, the Carmelite prior general, agreed of Teresa’s work and asked her to open more convents and to establish monasteries. During when she was at Medina del Campo, Spain, Teresa met Juan de Yepes a young Carmelite priest. She knew he was right person to help her establish the Carmelite reform for men and help her in the renewal of the Carmelite laws. She was right as a year later Fr. Juan opened the first monastery of the Primitive Rule in Duruelo, Spain. +++ -
Oct 4, 1582
Death of the daughter of the church.
In 1582 although ill Teresa, set out for Alba de Tormes and arrived on 20th September she was bed stricken and received her last sacrament by Father Antony de Heredia, a friar of the Reform. She sat up as she received her last sacrament and exclaimed, "O my Lord, now is the time that we shall see each other! " before she died that night on October 4th 9 pm. +++ -
Burial.
She was buried at Alva, three years later the body was secretly removed and sent back to Avila. The next year the Duke of Alva acquired an order from Rome to return it to Alva de Tormes, and there her body has remained. +++ -
The way of perfection.
With the help Fr. Juan de Yepes Teresa’s books were published. Fr Juan is now known as Saint John of the cross. +++ -
Blessed Teresa.
Pope Paul V declares Teresa as blessed. +++ -
Saint Teresa of Avila.
Pope Gregory XV declares Teresa a Saint and her feast day is fixed to October 15. +++ -
Doctor of the church.
Saint Teresa of Avila is declared to be the first woman to be doctor of the church by Pope Paul VI. +++ -
+++ Saint Teresa of Avila +++
Saint Teresa was born before the reformation and died 20 years before the closing council of Trent. While she was on earth she opened 16 convents through out Spain. Her faith, works and determination did not only help her accomplish this thing on earth but helped accomplish something much much greater … a spot in heaven. +++ -
