Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaintTeresa of Jesus of Los Andes OCD |
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Portrait of Saint Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes
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| Born | Juana Enriqueta Josephina de Los Sagrados Corazones Fernández Solar 13 July 1900 Santiago, Chile |
| Died | 12 April 1920 (aged 19) Los Andes, Valparaíso, Chile |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 3 April 1987, O'Higgins Park, Santiago, Chile by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 21 March 1993, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Major shrine | Shrine of Saint Teresa of Los Andes |
| Feast |
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| Attributes | Discalced Carmelite habit, crucifix |
Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes (born 13 July 1900 – died 12 April 1920) was a Chilean nun. Her birth name was Juana Enriqueta Josephina de Los Sagrados Corazones Fernández Solar. She belonged to a group of nuns called the Discalced Carmelites.
Juana was a very religious child. Sometimes, she could get angry or be a bit vain. But she also showed a lot of kindness and love. When she decided to become a nun, her personality seemed to change. Her main goal was to serve God.
Sadly, her time in the convent was short. She got a serious illness that took her life. She knew she was going to die. But she was happy that she could make her promises as a nun before she passed away.
The process to make her a saint began in 1976. She was first called a Servant of God. Later, in 1986, she was called Venerable because of her very good life. She was then beatified in 1987 in Chile. This happened after a miracle was linked to her. Another miracle from Chile led Pope John Paul II to make her a saint in 1993. This ceremony took place in Saint Peter's Square.
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Early Life and Family
Juana Enriqueta Josefina de los Sagrados Corazones Fernández Solar was born in 1900. Her family lived in Santiago, Chile. They were from the upper class. Her parents were Miguel Fernández and Lucia Solar.
Juana was the fourth of six children. She had three brothers: Luis, Miguel, and Ignacio. Her two sisters were Lucía and Rebeca. Rebeca later became a Discalced Carmelite nun. She joined the same convent as Juana. Her religious name was "Teresa of the Divine Heart."
Childhood and Education
Juana went to a school run by French nuns. These nuns were from the Sacred Heart order. She studied there from 1907 until 1918.
As a child, Juana enjoyed singing and dancing. She also played croquet and tennis. She was a good swimmer. She could play the piano and the harmonium.
In 1913, she had to go to the hospital. She had a problem called acute appendicitis.
Growing in Faith
Juana was a very religious person. But she could also be stubborn and vain sometimes. She would also lose her temper. Once, her sister Rebeca got so annoyed with Juana that she hit her. Juana got angry and grabbed Rebeca. But then she stopped and kissed her sister's cheek. Rebeca was confused and told her to leave.
In 1914, Juana decided she wanted to give her life to God. She wanted to become a Discalced Carmelite nun. On 8 December 1915, she promised to remain chaste. She renewed this promise often.
She read a book written by Thérèse of Lisieux. This book deeply affected Juana. It made her realize she wanted to live only for God. She worked hard to become less self-centered. She wanted to care for others more than herself.
Her First Communion helped her make this change. She wanted to be worthy of receiving it. Juana received her Confirmation on 22 October 1909. She made her First Communion on 11 September 1910.
Deciding to Become a Nun
In September 1917, Juana wrote a letter. She sent it to the head nun of the Discalced Carmelite convent. This convent was near her home. She told the nun she wanted to join the order.
In late 1917, she asked her mother if she knew Juana would become a nun. Her mother said that decision was up to her father. Juana later sent a letter to her father from school. This was on 25 March 1919. He did not reply. When she went home, she did not mention it. Her father did not either. But before she went back to school, she asked him. He finally said yes.
Life as a Nun
On 7 May 1919, Juana joined the novitiate in Los Andes. This is a training period for new nuns. There, she received a new religious name: "Teresa of Jesus." She received her nun's habit on 14 October.
Toward the end of her short life, Sister Teresa started writing letters. She shared her thoughts on spiritual life with others. But she soon became very ill. She caught typhus, which was a deadly disease. Some people think she might have caught the Spanish flu. This illness was very bad in Chile at that time.
Her health got much worse on 2 April 1920. This day was Good Friday. Sister Teresa was almost 20 years old. She still had six months left to finish her training. She needed to complete it to make her final religious vows.
But she was allowed to make her vows anyway. This was done "in articulo mortis" (meaning "facing death"). She made her vows on 7 April 1920. Sister Teresa received her final religious rites on 5 April 1920. She died at 7:15 PM on 12 April 1920. This was one week after Easter. Her body was moved to a new chapel in 1940.
Becoming a Saint
Teresa of Jesus is still very popular today. About 100,000 people visit her shrine each year. Her body is honored at the Shrine of Saint Teresa of Los Andes in Los Andes.
She is Chile's first saint. Many women and teenagers especially look up to her. Teresa of Jesus was the first Discalced Carmelite from outside Europe to become a saint. She is also the fifth saint in her order named "Teresa."
The Path to Sainthood
The process to make her a saint began in 1947. This first step is called an "informative process." It ended in 1972. Her writings were checked by experts. They approved them in 1975.
On 23 April 1976, she was officially called a Servant of God. This is the first title on the path to sainthood. More investigations happened from 1976 to 1978. In 1981, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome approved these steps.
In 1985, a special document called the Positio was given to the Congregation. Experts and church leaders approved her case. On 22 March 1986, Pope John Paul II declared her Venerable. This means she lived a life of great goodness.
Miracles and Canonization
For someone to become a saint, miracles must be linked to them. A process for a miracle linked to Teresa began in Chile. This healing was investigated from 1984 to 1985. Medical experts, theologians, and the Congregation all agreed it was a miracle.
On 16 March 1987, Pope John Paul II approved this miracle. This meant she could be beatified. He beatified her on 3 April 1987 in O'Higgins Park in Chile. Her brother Luis was there. He was her last living direct family member.
Another miracle was needed for her to become a full saint. This second miracle was investigated from 1990 to 1991 in Chile. Again, medical experts, theologians, and the Congregation approved it. Pope John Paul II confirmed this healing as a miracle on 11 June 1992. He then made her a saint on 21 March 1993. This special event happened in Saint Peter's Square.
In Popular Media
Her life story was made into a Chilean TV miniseries. It ran from August to September 1989. Paulina Urrutia played Teresa of Jesus. Other movies have also been made about her life.
She was also mentioned in the Young Pope. This was a TV drama miniseries from 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Teresa de Los Andes para niños
- Constitutions of the Carmelite Order
Images for kids
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Tomb of Saint Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes, bearing the inscript "El amor es mas fuerte ("Love is stronger" [than death])
