The Basics: Born July 15, 1747, in Italy; died March 7, 1770, in Italy; canonized March 19, 1934, by Pope Pius XI; feast day, September 1. Woman religious.
The Story: Born Anna Maria Redi, the oldest daughter in a large Catholic family, this saint attended a Benedictine boarding school between the ages of nine and sixteen. She was considering a vocation with the Benedictines when she felt St. Teresa of Avila expressing the desire for her to become a Discalced Carmelite. Anna Maria entered Carmel just after her seventeenth birthday, 
taking the name Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart. In her brief service–she was only twenty-two when she died–Teresa Margaret was known for her pleasant, calm, giving charism of caring for her sister nuns and her focus on God’s love. Only her confessor knew the difficulty Teresa Margaret felt about her inability to totally love the Lord as He loved her.
Teresa Margaret’s Wisdom: “Ask nothing, refuse nothing, but always be ready to do and to suffer anything that comes from His Providence.”
What We Can Learn from Teresa Margaret: Dark nights of the soul are perhaps more common than we think. Offer up a rosary or other prayer for the person or people who have helped you through yours. If you are experiencing one today, to whom might you reach out for guidance?
To Learn More About Teresa Margaret: St. Joseph’s Carmelite Monastery in Kilmacud, Ireland, has extensive profiles of Teresa Margaret and other Carmelite saints.
To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my book, Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.
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