Teresa von Avila

Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) was a Spanish mystic, Carmelite nun, and religious founder. She reformed the Carmelite Order and established the Teresian Carmel, from which the community of Discalced Carmelites emerged. She also founded numerous monasteries. Her major writings include *The Book of My Life*, *The Way of Perfection*, and *The Book of Foundations*. Teresa of Ávila was canonized in 1622; in 1970, Pope Paul VI named her the first woman to receive the title of Doctor of the Church.