St. Teresa was a charming vivacious girl who ran away from home to die a horrible death as a martyr. She was promptly hauled back home by her wealthy parents, where she enjoyed romance novels, perfume and fashion, to her everlasting shame.

Attempting to purge herself from her wicked ways she joined the Carmelite convent, which was a pretty cushy place as convents go. During this time she contracted a disease which left her paralyzed for three years. St. Augustine and St. Mary Magdelene (both saints who were huge sinners before their own repentance) appeared to her in visions in which Teresa was shown the special place in Hell that awaited her. (It was a tiny room under a staircase.) She was miraculously cured and set about curing the Carmelites of their lax ways, founding convents where strict rules of austerity were followed.
Charming and vivacious as she was, St. Teresa was not popular.

She managed to find the time to be a prolific philosophical writer. As a result, St. Teresa is the first woman ever to be named a Doctor of the Church. Only three women have been given the title in all of church history.

“God save us from stupid nuns!” — St. Teresa of Avila

Hand painted medal on antique copper colored ball chain measures 23"..