Teresa of Ávila

Teresa of Avila (1515-82), also called St. Teresa of Jesus, was a Spanish nun and one of the great mystics and religious women of the Roman Catholic Church. She was the leader of the Carmelite Reform, which restored and emphasized the austerity and contemplative character of this religious order. She was canonized in 1622 and elevated to Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970, the first woman to be so honored.