Hello and welcome to Saint Stories for Kids, a weekly podcast full of fun stories and

facts about the holy men and women that have come before us. I'm your host,

Shontal Barrows. St. Stories for Kids is brought to you by Shining Light Dolls.

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Today we'll be telling the story of St. Theresa of Avila,

whose feast is celebrated on October 15th.

Teresa was born in 15 in Avelis, Spain.

Her father was a very successful wool merchant

and had three children from a previous marriage

before marrying Teresa's mother.

She was raised in a Christian home surrounded by the lives of the Saints.

In fact, when she was seven, she tried to run away from home with her brother Rodrigo to go to the Holy

Land, but luckily she was spotted by her uncle on her way out of town.

Sadly, Teresa's mother died when she was only 11 years old, but that sadness led Teresa to a closer relationship with the Blessed Mother that she

she maintained throughout her life.

When she was 18, Theresa decided to join the Carmelites and became a nun.

She was very interested in contemplative prayer, and after a while found herself at odds with the atmosphere of the convent.

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