SAINT TERESA OF AVILA
Saint Teresa de Cepeday Ahumanda By Edward Matulanya Early Life and Vocation of Saint Teresa Teresa de Cepeday Ahumada was born on 28 March 1515 in Ávila, Spain. She came from a devout family; her father was Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda, and her mother was Beatriz de Ahumada. After her mother’s death when Teresa was about fourteen, she experienced a deepening of her spiritual life (Encyclopædia Britannica, n.d.; Salesian Sisters, n.d.). In her youth she was given to reading about the saints and desired holiness. Around age 20 she entered the Carmelite Convent of the Incarnation in Ávila (likely in 1535 or 1536) despite initial reluctance and opposition (Georgetown University Library, n.d.; Britannica, n.d.). Her early years as a nun were marked by illness (including a period of paralysis) and spiritual struggle. She described seasons of interior dryness, lack of fervor, and conflict between worldly and spiritual inclinations (Britannica, n.d.; Franciscan Media, n.d....