10/11/2026
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are celebrating saints like Saint Teresa de Jesus de Los Andes.
Born Juana Enriqueta Josefina Fernández Solar in Santiago, Chile, in 1900, Teresa is remembered as a joyful and devoted witness to Christ. Known by many as Juanita, she grew up in a faithful family and felt drawn to God from a young age.
At fourteen, she sensed a call to religious life, and in 1919 she entered the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Los Andes, receiving the name Teresa of Jesus. Though her time in Carmel was brief, her life was marked by prayer and generosity.
Teresa died in 1920 at age 19 after an intense illness. Canonized in 1993, she became the first Chilean saint and remains a powerful reminder that holiness is possible through faith, love and everyday devotion to God.