Teresa of Avila: Saint and Doctor of the Church

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Today is the feast of Saint Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Spanish nun, who with Saint John of the Cross, reformed the Carmelite Order. Together, they established eleven convents throughout Spain between 1567 and 1576. Then in 1580, Teresa of Avila received papal approval to establish the Discalced Carmelite Order, which adopted a more austere lifestyle than the Carmelites. With the establishment of this new Order, Teresa opened five additional convents, prior to her death in 1582.
She received much scrutiny and disbelief for having claimed to receive visions from God. Not to be daunted, she put pen to paper, documenting her interpretation of her visions. As a result, today, we have one of the finest works on Catholic spirituality to draw from in her book, Interior Castles. Her writings are inspirational. Because of the theological insights found within Saint Teresa of Avila’s writings, she has been named a Doctor of the Church. Read more...

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