The fifth centenary of the birth of St Theresa was celebrated last weekend at Infant Jesus Parish Morley.
The centenary year of St Theresa began on October 15, 2014, and continues through to October 15, 2015 – the feast day of St Theresa.
The event featured a lecture on St Teresa’s spirituality by Sr Jennifer Jones, OCD, via Skype from her monastery in Varroville, New South Wales, and St Teresa-focused discussions and prayer.
The lecture was followed by Mass, celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop of Perth, Don Sproxton.
St. Teresa of Jesus—also known as St. Teresa of Avila—was born in Avila, Spain, on March 28, 1515.
She wrote profoundly on the Christian life, especially on prayer. Her books, which are regarded as not only classic works of Christian mysticism but also as key texts of Spanish Renaissance literature, include her autobiography (The Book of Her Life), The Way of Perfection, and The Interior Castle.
Living during the Counter Reformation, she was a reformer of the Carmelite Order and is considered the founder (along with St. John of the Cross) of the Discalced or Teresian Carmelites.
Teresa died on March 4, 1582. Forty years after her death, in 1622, she was canonised by Pope Gregory XV.
In 1970 Teresa was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI.