Thursday, 12 April 2018

# Saints

Saint Teresa of the Andes

Portrait of Saint Teresa of the Andes

The 12th of April is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes (13 July 1900 – 12 April 1920). She was born as Juana Fernández Solar. She is the patron saint against disease, against illness, ill people, young people, Santiago and Los Andes.

She was born in Chile, her family were upper class. As a child, she was very pious and was deeply spiritually being devoted to Jesus and Mary. However, she was stubborn and self-centred which she sought to overcome while preparing herself for her First Communion at the age of 10 years old. After reading the autobiography of St Therese of Lisieux, she decided to become a Carmelite nun. Five years later in 1919, when she was 19 years old she entered the Carmelite monastery of Los Andes. She wrote letters where she mentioned her spiritual life. After praying it was revealed to her that she would die at a young age and she accepted this with joy. Only a few months after entering the monastery, she contracted typhoid fever and died in April 1920 during Holy Week. She was permitted to profess her vows before her death. In 1993 Pope St John Paul canonised her, and she was the first Chilean and first Discalced Carmelite nun outside of Europe to be recognised as a saint.

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