Saint Teresa was the daughter of the king of Portugal. She married her cousin and they lived happily, with the blessing of many children. After several years, their marriage was proclaimed invalid because the two were so closely related and did not get special permission.

After this announcement, Teresa's husband went on to marry another woman named Berengaria. Husbandless, Teresa travelled to Portugal, where she established a Benedictine monastery. She replaced the monks with nuns following the Cistercian Rule, expanded the monastery to accommodate three hundred nuns, and lived there.

Some years later, Berengaria came to visit Teresa, seeking her assistance in settling a fight over inheritance among her children. Teresa could have treated Berengaria with disdain for marrying her husband, but instead she kindly helped her settle the dispute peacefully.

Her cult, with that of her sister Sanchia, was approved by Pope Clement XI in 1705. Her feast day is June 17.

Saint Teresa teaches us much about the attitude we are to adopt as Christians. When people wrong and hurt us, it is natural and common to want to hurt them back, to want to treat them poorly. But Jesus taught that we must forgive all, regardless of the harm they have caused. Saint Teresa had good reason to despise her husband's new wife, but she forgave, accepted, loved, and even helped her. This is the disposition we are to adopt.

Other Saints of the Day

• St. Emily de Vialar

• St. Adulf

• St. Albert Chmielowski

• St. Antidius

• St. Botulph