Ana de Jesús

After the death of Saint Teresa of Ávila in 1582, Anne of Jesus made it her mission to preserve and disseminate the saint's work. She gathered her scattered writings and collaborated actively with the writer Fray Luis de León to produce the first printed edition of the works of Teresa of Ávila.

Her major work lies in the European expansion of the Discalced Carmelite reform. In 1604, she was chosen to lead a group of Spanish Carmelites sent to France. Supported by Pierre de Bérulle, Barbe Acarie (the future Blessed Mary of the Incarnation), and Saint Francis de Sales, she founded the first reformed Carmel in France in Paris (faubourg Saint-Jacques) on October 18, 1604. She became its prioress, then continued the founding momentum by establishing the Carmels of Pontoise (January 15, 1605) and Dijon (September 21, 1605).

In 1607, at the invitation of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia (sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands) and Archduke Albert, she went to Brussels to introduce the reform there. She founded the Carmel of Brussels there on January 22, 1607, of which she remained prioress until her death. She also founded the monasteries of Louvain (November 4, 1607) and Mons (February 7, 1608), and encouraged the foundations of Antwerp (1619) and Krakow (1612). Through these foundations, she firmly established the Teresian charism in Northern Europe.

The reputation for holiness of Anne of Jesus was immediate during her lifetime, marked by her profound mystical life and her heroic fidelity to the rule. Afflicted by a degenerative disease, she spent the last seven years of her life completely paralyzed, bearing her sufferings with admirable patience. She passed away on March 4, 1621, in Brussels.

Her beatification process opened as early as 1621 in Brussels, and an ordinary process was formally launched in 1630. However, due to historical vicissitudes and repeated suspensions, the cause took nearly four centuries to reach completion. Pope Francis promulgated the decree recognizing her heroic virtues on November 28, 2019, declaring her venerable.

On December 14, 2023, Pope Francis signed the decree recognizing the authenticity of a historical miracle attributed to her intercession. This miracle occurred on March 4, 1621, only a few hours after the death of Anne of Jesus in Brussels. Sister Jeanne of the Holy Spirit (Juana del Espíritu Santo), a young Carmelite of the Brussels community, had been completely paralyzed in her legs and bedridden since the end of 1619 following a serious illness that began in 1613. Considered incurable by doctors, she asked to be transported to the remains of Anne of Jesus. While attempting to sit up to kiss the inanimate body of the foundress, she was instantly and totally cured of her paralysis, immediately regaining the use of her legs and resuming her daily activities.

The beatification ceremony of Anne of Jesus was celebrated on September 29, 2024, by Pope Francis in person. This exceptional event took place at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, during the Holy Father's apostolic journey to Luxembourg and Belgium. Before an assembly of nearly 40,000 faithful, Pope Francis presented the new blessed as a model of holiness, evangelical strength, and fidelity to the Theresian charism in times of trial.

Her liturgical feast is set for November 25 (the day of her birth and baptism), particularly celebrated within the Order of Discalced Carmelites, as well as March 4 (the day of her birth into heaven).

The spirituality of Anne of Jesus is deeply Christocentric, characterized by an immense love for the humanity of Christ and a fervent devotion to the Eucharist. Formed directly by Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint John of the Cross, she embodies absolute fidelity to the original spirit of the Carmelite reform. Although she did not write formal spiritual treatises, her abundant correspondence reveals a soul of great mystical depth, a keen sense of discernment, and a joyful acceptance of suffering united to the Passion of Christ.

Her legacy is immense: she is considered the co-founder or the "mother" of the reformed Carmel in France and Belgium. Without her courage and tenacity, the writings of Saint Teresa of Ávila might not have been preserved and published with such fidelity.

Her spiritual influence spans the centuries and touches other great figures of holiness. Saint Thérèse of Lisieux recounts in Story of a Soul having been deeply marked by a mystical dream in which the venerable Anne of Jesus appeared to her to caress her and announce the tenderness of God, thus strengthening the spiritual bond between the different generations of the Carmel.