St. Teresa of Avila: 5 Things You Should Know About This Trailblazing Mystic

St. Teresa of Ávila was the first woman named a Doctor of the Church and was canonized in 1622 alongside Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. A Carmelite nun and reformer, she is known for her teachings on the interior life and her spiritual writings.

In her book, The Interior Castle, Teresa describes the soul as a castle containing seven mansions to guide people toward deeper mental prayer and intimacy with God. She characterized prayer as a close sharing between friends rather than the mere recitation of words.

Teresa entered a convent at age 20, though she lived a lukewarm spiritual life for nearly two decades before undergoing a spiritual reset. Her intense devotion began in childhood when she and her brother, Rodrigo, attempted to run away from home to seek martyrdom.