Born in Santiago, Chile, she wrote of her deep love for Jesus in diaries and letters from childhood. She died at nineteen, less than a year after entering the Carmel, and became Chile's first saint.
Life
Teresa of Los Andes was born Juana Fernández Solar in Santiago, Chile, in 1900. A lively and affectionate girl, she loved Jesus deeply from childhood and, reading the writings of Teresa of Ávila and Thérèse of Lisieux, came to dream of the Carmelite life.
In 1919 she entered the Carmel of Los Andes and received the name Teresa of Jesus. The following year, 1920, she died of illness at the age of nineteen. Her letters and diary have moved many young people, and in 1993 she was canonized as Chile's first saint.
Spirituality
Teresa's spirituality is joyful love. She believed that loving God is not a heavy or sad thing but a happy one. In her short life she shared that love through letters to family and friends, drawing them toward God.
Reflection
Saint Teresa shared the joy of faith with those around her through letters. Why not share God's love with someone today through a short note or message?