Teresa of the Andes

Teresa of Jesus of Los Andes (13 July 1900 – 12 April 1920), born as Juana Enriqueta Josephina de Los Sagrados Corazones Fernández Solar, (Teresa de Jesús de Los Andes) was a Chilean nun of the Discalced Carmelites.

Fernández Solar was a pious child but had an often unpredictable temperament for she could be prone to anger and being vain but could also demonstrate her charitable and loving nature; she seemed transformed when she decided to become a nun and her character seemed to change for her sole ambition was to dedicate herself to the service of God.

But her time in the convent was cut short due to her contracting an aggressive disease that killed her - she knew she would die but was consoled knowing she would be able to make her profession before she died.

Juana Enriqueta Josefina de los Sagrados Corazones Fernández Solar was born in 1900 in Santiago in Chile to the upper class Miguel Fernández and Lucia Solar as the fourth of six children; three males and two females not including herself.

Fernández Solar received her education in a college managed by French nuns from the Sacred Heart order, and she remained there from 1907 until 1918.

Fernández Solar received her Confirmation on 22 October 1909 and made her First Communion later on 11 September 1910.

Juana was hospitalized in 1913 for acute appendicitis.

In her childhood, she also liked singing and dancing and played croquet and tennis.

She was an able swimmer and could play the piano and harmonium.

In 1914, she decided to consecrate herself to the Lord and become a Discalced Carmelite.

On 8 December 1915, she made a vow to remain chaste and she renewed it on a regular basis.

Fernández Solar was pious in character, but could also be stubborn and vain; she also lost her temper on some occasions.

On one particular occasion, her sister Rebeca grew so fed up with Juana that she hit her while the red-faced Juana grabbed her with anger but stopped and kissed her cheek.

Rebeca was confused and unsure but chased her off and said: "Get out of here! You have given me the kiss of Judas!"

In 1916, she made a retreat for the Spiritual Exercises.

In her childhood, she read the autobiographical account that Thérèse of Lisieux had written and the experience had a profound effect on her pious and innocent character while also coming to the realization that she wanted to live for God alone.

Fernández Solar had to work to overcome her initial self-centered character towards that of one directed to the caring of others above all.

Her further inspiration for this self-transformation was her upcoming First Communion which led her to this commitment in an effort to achieve worthiness of what she was soon to receive.

In September 1917 she sent a letter to the prioress of the Discalced Carmelite convent close to her home expressing her desire to enter the order.

On October 18, 1917, a nun distributed candies to the children but she grew frustrated when she was given a small piece so hurled it out of her hand and refused another piece that the nun offered her.

In late 1917 she and her mother left church and she turned to her mother in abruptness and asked whether she knew she would become a religious to which her mother told her that decision was for her father to make.

Solar did not pursue it until from school she sent a letter to her father on 25 March 1919 that received no response; she returned home for a brief period but did not mention it and her father never alluded to it either but before she left for school again he consented when she asked him about it.

On 7 May 1919 she entered the novitiate of the Discalced Carmelites in Los Andes at which time she was given the new religious name of "Teresa of Jesus"; she later received the habit on the following 14 October.

Toward the end of her short life the new nun began an apostolate of letter-writing in which she shared her thoughts on the spiritual life with others.

But she soon contracted typhus that was diagnosed as fatal.

However, some historians have suggested that she might have contracted Spanish flu, which was devastating Chile at this time.

In any case, her condition grew worse on 2 April 1920 - Good Friday.

Sister Teresa was still three months short of turning 20 and had six months to complete her canonical novitiate so as to make her religious vows.

But she nevertheless was allowed to profess her vows "in articulo mortis" ("facing death") on 7 April 1920.

Sister Teresa received the final sacraments on 5 April 1920 and later died at 7:15pm on 12 April 1920, one week after Easter.

Her remains were later relocated in 1940 to a new chapel.

Teresa of Jesus remains popular with the estimated 100 000 pilgrims who visit on an annual basis the shrine where her remains are venerated in the Shrine of Saint Teresa of Los Andes in Los Andes.

The nun is Chile's first saint and is popular more so among women and adolescents.

Her brothers were Luis and Miguel and Ignacio and her sisters were Lucía and Rebeca (d. 31 December 1942).

Rebeca became a Discalced Carmelite nun at the same convent as Juana as "Teresa of the Divine Heart".

Her mother was Lucía Solar de Fernández, her father was Miguel Fernández Jara and her maternal grandfather was Eulogio Solar.

Her baptism was celebrated in the parish church of Santa Ana.

Her canonization process opened on 23 April 1976 under Pope Paul VI and she became titled as a Servant of God.

The confirmation of her life of heroic virtue on 22 March 1986 allowed for her to be titled as Venerable.

Solar was beatified on 3 April 1987 in Chile after a miracle attributed to her from her native land cleared her for beatification while another miracle coming from Chile led Pope John Paul II to canonize her as a saint on 21 March 1993 in Saint Peter's Square.