St. Teresa of the Andes

St. Teresa of the Andes was a young Chilean Carmelite nun who embraced a life of prayer, sacrifice, and intense love for Christ, becoming a model of youthful holiness.

St. Teresa of the Andes, born Juana Fernández del Solar on July 13, 1900, in Santiago, Chile, is one of the most beloved and inspiring young saints of modern times. Raised in a devout Catholic family, she displayed a vibrant, joyful personality and deep spiritual sensitivity from an early age. Despite enjoying many normal pleasures of youth—family gatherings, horseback riding, playing piano—Juana harbored a profound interior desire to belong wholly to God.

From her early years, she nurtured a deep devotion to Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Eucharist. After reading the autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, she felt a strong calling to the Carmelite life, yearning for a hidden life of prayer and sacrifice. Despite some resistance from her family, who loved her lively spirit and hesitated at the thought of losing her to the cloister, Juana entered the Discalced Carmelite Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Los Andes at the age of 19, taking the religious name Teresa of Jesus.

Her time in the monastery was brief—only about 11 months—but intensely fruitful. Teresa embraced the austerities of Carmelite life with great joy and fervor, offering herself entirely for the salvation of souls and for the sanctification of the Church. She lived a life filled with love, humility, sacrifice, and mystical union with God.

In early 1920, Teresa contracted typhus. As her health rapidly declined, she made her final vows from her deathbed. She died on April 12, 1920, at just 19 years old, leaving behind a rich legacy of letters and writings that reveal a soul completely in love with God.

Her cause for canonization was taken up quickly due to the many miracles attributed to her intercession and the widespread devotion that grew throughout Chile and beyond. She was beatified in 1987 by Pope John Paul II and canonized by him on March 21, 1993, making her the first Chilean saint.

Today, St. Teresa of the Andes is celebrated as a patron saint of youth, a radiant example of purity, joy, and total surrender to Christ.

Feast Day

12-4-

Birth Date

13-7-1900

Died Date

12-4-1920

Canonised Date

21-3-1993

Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Los Andes, Chile

St. Teresa of the Andes, you who burned with love for Christ from your youth, help us to find joy in serving God and living a life of purity, sacrifice, and complete trust. Pray for us that we too may seek holiness in the ordinary moments of our lives. Amen.
ST. TERESA OF THE ANDES

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ST. TERESA OF THE ANDES

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