St Teresa of Ávila

St Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) was a Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, writer, and reformer who became the first woman to be named a Doctor of the Church. Born Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada in Ávila on March 28, 1515, she entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation at age 20. After years of spiritual struggle, she experienced a profound conversion and began receiving mystical visions, including the famous Transverberation of the Heart. In 1562, she founded the Convent of St. Joseph in Ávila, the first house of the Discalced ("barefoot") Carmelite reform, returning to the primitive rule's emphasis on poverty, enclosure, and contemplative prayer. Over the next twenty years, she established sixteen more reformed convents across Spain, despite fierce opposition. She collaborated closely with St. John of the Cross to reform the male branch of the order. St Teresa's writings—*The Life*, *The Way of Perfection*, and *The Interior Castle*—remain foundational texts of Christian mysticism. Her teachings on mental prayer and the stages of spiritual growth continue to guide souls toward union with God. She died on October 4, 1582, at Alba de Tormes, where her incorrupt body now rests. Pope Paul VI proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church in 1970. **Feast Day:** October 15 **Patronage:** Spain, headache sufferers, religious, Carmelites, writers