St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, died October 4, 1582. She was a Spanish nun, one of the great mystics and religious women of the Roman Catholic Church, and author of spiritual classics. She was the originator of the Carmelite Reform, which restored and emphasized the austerity and contemplative character of primitive Carmelite life. St. Teresa was elevated to Doctor of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI, the first woman to be so honored. Her feast is kept on October 15.