RELIC OF SAINT TERESA OF ÁVILA

Rare reliquary made of silver-plated bronze with a glass front containing the first-class relic Ex Ossibus of Saint Teresa of Ávila.

The relic is fixed at the center of a refined decoration. It rests on a deep red fabric background; this color, omnipresent in Christian liturgy, symbolizes the blood of Christ and His redemptive sacrifice. Around the relic, a radiant motif in gold leaf evokes a divine halo, enhancing its sacred character.

Below, a paper or parchment label bears the inscription "Ex. Oss. S. Teresiae. Virg" (originating from the bones of Saint Teresa, virgin).

Good condition with its original glass.

Unopened.

Ecclesiastical seal and silk threads present.

PERIOD: 18th century
DIMENSION: 4 cm X 3.5 cm
SIZE: 1.6" X 1.4"

Saint Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582), born Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada in Spain, was a reforming Carmelite, mystic, and Doctor of the Church. She entered the Carmelite convent at twenty, then led a reform of the order to return to a stricter life, founding the Discalced Carmelites with Saint John of the Cross. Teresa is famous for her spiritual writings, notably The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, which describe the soul’s path to divine union. A woman of intense prayer, she experienced mystical ecstasies. She bravely faced the Inquisition while maintaining deep humility. Canonized in 1622, she was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Paul VI in 1970. She remains a major figure in Christian spirituality.