October 15th is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila or Teresa of Jesus. We join with our Discalced brother and sisters in celebrating the life of this remarkable Carmelite.
On March 12, 2022, we celebrated the 400th anniversary of the canonization of St. Teresa of Avila. Perhaps there has never been a canonization celebration at the Vatican matching the one held on March 12, 1622! Pope Gregory XV solemnly recognized the holiness of one woman, a Carmelite nun, Teresa of Avila, along with Ignatius of Loyola, Isidore of Madrid (also known as Isidore the Farmer), Francis Xavier, and Philip Neri. Never before had four people been declared saints in the same ceremony.
One must also be impressed with the fact that each of these new saints would continue to be major figures in the Church down to our current time. In the case of St. Teresa, she worked to establish enclosed monasteries according to what she understood was the “primitive rule” of the Order. Today many parts of the world benefit from Carmels founded in the tradition of Teresa, small oases of silence and prayer amidst the turmoil.
The saint's writings are recognized as masterpieces of 16th century Spanish literature and spirituality. Her reflections on the process for one to progress toward God through prayer and contemplation are considered benchmarks in the history of Christian mysticism. In 1970 she became the first female declared a “Doctor of the Church.”
Read St. Teresa's bio here
To learn more about the life of St. Teresa and her work and legacy, we suggest reading the books The Heirs of St. Teresa of Avila and "I Consider the Labor Well Spent" A Mini-Course on the Interior Castle, both published by Edizioni Carmelitane.
To access this and many other fine publications at Edizioni Carmelitane, click here.
To place your order please contact Edizioni Carmelitane at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
