St Teresa of Avila

Birth of St. Teresa

Mar 28, 1515

St. Teresa was born as one of ten children in a family in Gotarrendura, in the province of Avila in Spain. Her father and mother, Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda and Beatriz respectively, were intent on raising Teresa as a pious Christian.

St Teresa of Avila

Period: Mar 28, 1515 to Mar 12, 1622

St. Teresa runs away

Jan 1, 1522

St. Teresa attempts to run away from her parents with her big brother, Rodrigo, to become a martyr of the church in the land of the Moors. Luckily, they are found by their father and a handful of villagers before they get themselves hurt or lost.

Death of her parents

Jan 1, 1530

St. Teresa's mother died when she was 14 years old, which drove her to embrace a deeper and more intimate devotion to the Virgin Mary. Sadly, her father passed away the following year, when she was 15. This lead her to the care of the Augustinian nuns. After reading the letters of St. Jerome with the nuns and after being influenced by her mother's death, she decided for herself that she wanted to lead a deeply religious life.

The Carmelite Order

Jan 1, 1535

St. Teresa joins the Carmelite Order after being educated in a convent school and spends a few years performing tasks and preaching about Jesus. During her time there, she develops an illness in her legs that leaves her paralyzed for 3 years, but has a vision of 'the sorely wounded Christ' that dramatically affected her life.

St. Teresa's Sickness

Mar 4, 1539

St. Teresa returns to her father's house in Avila, but becomes gravely ill and falls into a coma. After four days, the village prepares a burial, But St. Teresa wakes up unexpectedly. She is in a large amount of pain and is paralysed, but she insists on returning to the convent. She spends three years in the infirmary.

Paralysis is healed

Mar 1, 1542

St. Teresa's paralysis is healed, and she gives thanks to St. Joseph. For the next 12 years, St. Teresa goes through many spiritual struggles and grows in many aspects of her faith. She describes this time as a time of 'wasting'.

St. Teresa's Choice- Marriage or Piety

Jan 1, 1550

During St. Teresa's time at the Carmelite Order, there came a time where she had to choose between marriage and becoming a nun. She found this decision very difficult to make. On one hand, she had watched many marriages get ruined and fall apart, whereas being a nun did not seem 'entertaining' enough. In the end, she chose a life of piety because she thought it was the only safe place for someone as prone to sin as her.

Radical Conversion

Jan 1, 1554

During the time of Lent, St. Teresa experiences a radical conversion in front of a statue of the suffering Christ. This event reinvigorated St. Teresa, and gives her new religious motives to follow. She becomes much more pious and is determined on creating a reformed Carmelite Order.

Rapture Visions

Jan 1, 1558

St. Teresa experiences a number of religious visions in the year 1558. She sees the First rapture of the Saint, and has a vision of Hell and all the tormented souls and their sins. This influences her to lead a life with less distractions and sins.

St. Teresa's Reformed Carmelite Order

Jan 1, 1560

St, Teresa believed her original house was too 'relaxed', and needed sterner rules and a new religious motive. The locals did not like this idea, and she was threatened with an inquisition. Yet she persisted, and she devoted the rest of her life- to her very last year- to founding numerous 'shoeless' or 'discalced' organisations. These organisations followed St. Teresa's way of life and teachings.

The Grace of Transverberation

Jan 1, 1560

St. Teresa receives the grace of Transverberation, also known as the piercing of the heart. During this time, she begins to write the story of her life, called 'Life'. She also begins discussing the idea of creating a Reformed Carmelite Order with her close friends. She achieves this very goal later in the year.

Pope Pius IV

Aug 24, 1562

As the news spreads about St. Teresa's intentions of forming many Orders, Pope Pius IV comes to her and grants her permission to found the San Jose de Avila (St. Joseph). This is one of the first Orders for men, and is huge progress for ST. Teresa's mission.

St. Teresa founds convents

Jan 1, 1567

St. Teresa is granted permission to found other convents. In the next three years, St. Teresa founds many convents, some of which include a convent in Medina del Campo, Malagon, Valladolid, Toledo, Pastrana and Salamanca. She also founded a handful of reformed monasteries, and a reformed monastery for friars in Duruelo is founder by St, John of the Cross.

The legality of the Discalced Reform

Jan 1, 1580

St. Teresa is stricken with influenza. She falls into a critical matter that leaves her close to death, but she recovers. The illness leaves her weaker than ever, but she still manages to fount convents in Villanueva de la Jara and Palencia. A few months later, an official palp brief was issued, which declared the Discalced Reform legal

More convents are founded

Jan 1, 1581

Many new constitutions are formed, and Gracian becomes the first provincial leader. During this time, St. Teresa founds a convent in Soria, and begins to found a convent in Burgos. A few months later, St. John of the Cross makes the foundations in Granada.

Death of St. Teresa

Oct 4, 1582

St. Teresa dies by Tuberculosis. Many of her publications, such as The Way of Perfection, The Meditations on the Canticle, The Interior Castle, and the Life of Teresa of Jesus became very popular. Her body is incorrupt, and her heart shows signs of Transverberation. Years later she is given a feast day on the 15th of October. To this day, she is known as the patron saint of headache sufferers, illness, lace makers, and people ridiculed for their piety.

Canonisation of St. Teresa

Mar 12, 1622

St. Teresa is canonised in the year 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. She is remembered by her last words; "My Lord, it is time to move on. Well then, may your will be done. O my Lord and my Spouse, the hour that I have longed for has come. It is time to meet one another."