St. Teresa of Avila

The first woman Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church, Teresa de Ahumada y Cepeda was born in Avila, Spain, on March 28, 1515. A descendent of converses (Jews converted to Christianity) on her father’s side, Teresa maintained an acute awareness of social injustices all her life. Teresa entered the Carmelite Monastery of the Incarnation in 1535, but it took over twenty years for her inner transformation. She went on to become a spiritual author, mystical theologian, contemplative teacher, and founder of the reformed, or discalced, Carmelites.