I was born in Avila, Spain, in 1515. I was a beautiful and outgoing girl, and I was deeply committed to my faith in Christ. At the age of 7, I ran away from home, hoping to find earn martyrdom in the Moorish territories, but my family quickly found me and brought me back.
At the age of 20, I entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation at Avila. The following year I received the habit and began wholeheartedly to give myself to prayer and penance. In the years to come, I had many mystical experiences. I wrote extensively about prayer and spiritual life, and I was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1970.
"Let nothing trouble you, let nothing make you afraid. All things pass away. God never changes. Patience obtains everything. God alone is enough."
-Saint Teresa of Avila
