St. Teresa Of The Andes Research Paper

St. Teresa of the Andes lived a short, but holy life. Previously known as Juana Fernández Solar, Teresa was born in 1900 in Santiago Chile. She was born to an upper class family and was the fourth of six children. After feeling an intense calling to the religious life, Juana took the name of Teresa at 19 years old, when she became a Carmelite nun. Before entering her convent, she taught religion to children from her church and helped the poor. She once encountered a very young, poor boy. She brought him to her home and cared for him, giving him clothes and food. She also raised money in a raffle to help his family (Swaim, Colleen). Teresa’s lifestyle started out as material based, but her Carmelite lifestyle brought her the simplicity she desired. She truly enjoyed the atmosphere of being surrounded by women who, like her, had devoted their lives to prayer. Toward the end of Teresa’s unfortunately short life, she began an “apostolate of letter-writing, sharing her thoughts on the spiritual life with many people” (Saint Teresa of Los Andes). At age 20, she got Typhus, and unfortunately died not long after. She is the first Chilean saint. …show more content…
Teresa grew up in a Catholic family and after reading the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, she felt a pull toward God. This book was a "rope" for her, and was what brought her closest to God in her early life. This book was the most intense rope in her earlier life, and inspired her to carry out a religious vocation. As a Carmelite nun, the women that she was surrounded with, who also committed their lives to God, were her “ropes.” They inspired her to grow even closer in relationship with God. She had many other roles that pulled her closer to God, but these seem to be the most significant