Teresa, when and where were you born?

I was born in Avila, Spain, on March, 28th, 1515. My Father was Antonio Sanches de Cepeda and my Mother was Beatriz de Ahumada.

How many brothers and sisters were you?

We were three girls and nine boys. From the first marriage of my Father were born: João(John), Maria(Mary) and Pedro(Peter). Becoming a widower, my Father remarried, this time my Mother, and from this marriage were born: Fernando(Ferdinand), Rodrigo, myself, Lorenzo(Lawrence), Antonio(Anthony), Pedro(Peter), Jeronimo(Jerome), Agostinho(Augustin) and Joana(Joan). I love them all, and I was very dear to all of them, but my favorite companion to play was Rodrigo, with whom I had several aventures!

Could you tell us some of them?

Yes! Together with Rodrigo, I red many lives of the Saints, and one day, when I was seven years old, awoke in us the desire of gaining Heaven faster; then the two of us together decided to run away to the land of the moors, in search of the martyrdom. We were not able to succeed, because my uncle, D. Francisco, found us on the way out of Avila, and brought us back home!

How old were you when you lost your Mother?

I was 14 by then, when I realized what had happened and my first reaction was to go to the statue of Our Lady and to ask Her to become my Mother, from then on. It seems to me that, although I did it with simplicity, it was worth it, because I always found help in Her.