Who is st Teresa?
St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church b. 1515 d. 1582 Canonized in 1622, patron saint of Headache sufferers. Her symbol is a heart, an arrow, and a book. Teresa suffered the same problem that Francis of Assisi did — she was too charming. Everyone liked her and she liked to be liked. As a child was always afraid that no matter what she did she was going to do everything wrong. When she was five years old she convinced her older brother that they should, “go off to the land of the Moors and beg them, out of love of God, to cut off our heads there.” After this incident she led a fairly ordinary life, though she was convinced that she was a horrible sinner. As a teenager, she cared only about boys and clothes and flirting and rebelling — like other teenagers throughout the ages. Entered convent at age 16, fairly typical for the time when many young women entered convents for training and education then left a few years later. Thus many convents were more secular and worldly than befo
