Mount Carmel Academy students experienced a profound opportunity to deepen their faith on October 14–15, when the school welcomed a relic of St. Teresa of Ávila, Carmelite reformer and Doctor of the Church, for veneration in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Throughout the two days, religion classes visited the chapel to pray before the relic and reflect on the life of St. Teresa. Each student received a card printed with one of the saint’s quotes, which they touched to the relic, creating a third-class relic to keep as a spiritual reminder of her intercession.

Ms. Cenac and Mrs. Merida, Assistant Directors of Mission Effectiveness and Faculty Formation, coordinated the experience. For them, the encounter was not simply about honoring a distant historical figure — it was about helping teenage girls see sanctity as something real and attainable in their own lives.

“St. Teresa of Ávila is one of the great Carmelite saints and a Doctor of the Church, but to a teenage girl this can feel daunting and unattainable,” Merida explained. “It was important to us that we show her human side — that she was not perfect, but through her everyday prayers and deeds, she became holy. More importantly, so can we.”

For many students, touching the relic brought that message to life.

“Having this relic on campus reinforced that the saints were human just like us,” Mrs. Merida continued. “The creation of third-class relics gave our students something tangible to remind them that St. Teresa is praying for them, with them, and interceding on their behalf.”

Although prayer cards were provided, the experience moved some students to return the next day with personal items meaningful to their families and faith lives.

“One student brought her mother’s bracelet. Another touched a family Bible. Several seniors cried as they pressed their class rings to the relic of St. Teresa of Ávila,” Mrs. Merida said.

Moments like these reflect Mount Carmel Academy’s mission to form young women who are rooted in the Carmelite tradition of prayer, service, and holiness in daily life. For many students, the veneration of St. Teresa’s relic became a moment of both spiritual closeness and inspiration, a reminder that sainthood begins with ordinary faithfulness.

As St. Teresa once wrote, “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; all things are passing, God never changes.”