Anna de Lobera Torres was born in Medina del Campo (Castile) on 25 November 1545 and died in Brussels on 4 March 1621.

In 1570, with the religious name of Anna of Jesus, she was introduced personally by St. Teresa into the first monastery of the Reform in Avila.  During the same year, she followed the Holy Mother to Salamanca, and made her First Profession there on 22 October 1571.  She was again conducted by St. Teresa for the foundation of Beas in Andalusia and then, under holy obedience, went on to open a foundation in Granada (1582).  This was the only Monastery during the lifetime of Teresa that was not founded by the Saint herself.  We are also aware  St. John of the Cross’ deep esteem for Anna.  He called her a “seraphim” and dedicated his Commentary on his Spiritual Canticle to her.  In 1586 Anna founded the Monastery in Madrid, where she worked very hard to have the first edition of the works of St. Teresa published (1588) and where she had her first struggles to defend the Norms for the Teresian Constitutions.  From there she proceeded to Salamanca (1584) where she was elected Prioress in 1586.

In 1604, under the guidance of Pietro Berulle, she moved into France with Blessed Anna of St. Bartholomew and four other Nuns.  She founded the monasteries of Paris (1604) and Pontoise and Dijon (1605).  Following on a disagreement with Berulle who seemed to want to diverge from the ideals of St. Teresa for French Carmels, plus her desire to be directed by Discalced Carmelite Friars, Anna accepted an invitation from the Archdukes of Belgium to move into Flanders.  There she founded the Monasteries of Brussels, Louvain and Mons (1607).  She retired to Brussels where she experienced intense interior and physical sufferings before dying there in 1621.  She had acquired the reputation of great sanctity, which was embellished by numerous graces and miracles. 

Her Cause for Beatification was introduced immediately after her death, but for various reasons, only arrived at a recognition of her heroic virtues on 28 November 2019.  On 14 December 2023, His Holiness Pope Francis recognised a miracle which occurred at the moment of  the death of Anna of Jesus and was attributed to her intercession.

The solemn ceremony of her Beatification by Pope Francis took place in Brussels on 29 September 2024.

1. The canonical norms concerning the procedure to be followed in the Causes of Saints are stated in the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister promulgated by John Paul II on 25 January 1983 (AAS LXXV, 1983, 349-355).

2. To initiate a Cause it is necessary that at least five years pass after the death of the candidate. This is to allow for greater balance and objectivity in the evaluation of the case and to allow the emotions of the moment to decant. There must be a clear conviction among people about his/her sanctity (fama sanctitas) and about the efficacy of his/her intercession with the Lord (fama signorum).

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His name was Zacarias Salterain Bizkarra and he was born in Abadiano (Vizcaya, Spain) on November 4, 1887; he did his first studies at the Jesuit college of Durango in Spain; at the age of 15 he entered the Novitiate of the Discalced Carmelites, where on September 12, 1904 he made his profession, taking the name of Zacarias of St. Teresa.

He attended courses in theology and philosophy in the Spanish cities of Bilbao-Begoña, Vitoria and Pamplona, to finish his studies in Rome, where he was ordained a priest on July 14, 1912.

Almost immediately he was sent to the vast missionary field of India and destined for the apostolic seminary of St. Joseph in the city of Puthempally, from there he was then transferred to Alwaye in the Indian state of Kerala, arriving there on November 20, 1912, with the task of teaching philosophy, especially Hindu philosophy, of which he became a talented expert.

In 1913, at the age of 26, he was appointed Prefect of philosophy students; his fast and deserving career among high school students, led him to become at the age of 47, in 1934, spiritual director of the Institute; in 1945 he became vice-rector of the great seminary of Alwaye, which, by now, was attended by more than 700 major clerics of the three Christian rites existing in India, Latin, Malabar and Malankara and of several religious institutes.

Finally in 1955, at the age of 68, he was appointed as Dean of the new distinguished building for philosophers; a position that he held for two years, that is, until his death. His work as a missionary Carmelite took place practically entirely in the teaching and formation of generations of young Indian priests, who despite the distinct forms of Christian worship, typical of the Indian subcontinent to which they belonged, recognized in him the sure guide, the distinguished theologian and philosopher, the spiritual father of their young priesthood.

But Father Zacarias of St. Teresa, did not stand out only for teaching, he was above all an apostolic man of great faith, with a spirit of piety and ardent zeal to achieve the conversion of souls, he was also a valiant director of the seminary.

He was also the author of the "Studies on Hinduism" in 5 volumes, collections which he printed of the lessons of the various subjects he taught. Also in the Seminary, he gave life to the "Sacred Heart Conversion League" Association, dedicated to prayer and penance, and he was a publisher, based in the Seminary, of three periodical publications of his own and of a whole series of pamphlets with popular circulation, concerning apologetics and doctrinal and spiritual formation.

Always requested by all, even by non-Christians, he bestowed without distinction, goodness and help as far as possible. With his evangelical simplicity, generous availability, integration into the Environment and Indian mentality, charity, prayer and poverty, combined with his cultural preparation, he became the figure of the holy missionary, giving moreover honour to the habit of the Discalced Carmelites to which he belonged.

He was a theologian at the First Plenary Council of India, Apostolic Commissioner of the Discalced Carmelite Tertiaries of the Latin rite, effective collaborator of several periodical publications.

In 1957 when he was 70 years old, he was transferred to Vellore, where he was operated on for abdominal cancer, which in recent times had violently shaken his life and his activity; but it was a malign evil and shortly afterwards without complaining, praying and entrusting himself completely to God, he died on May 23, 1957.

His funeral was a solemn one, with the participation of eight bishops, 300 priests and 400 seminarians; he was buried in the cemetery of the seminary; the tomb of Father Zacarias has since become a place of pilgrimage.

The decree on his heroic virtue was promulgated on January 27, 2014.

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1. The canonical norms concerning the procedure to be followed in the Causes of Saints are stated in the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister promulgated by John Paul II on 25 January 1983 (AAS LXXV, 1983, 349-355).

2. To initiate a Cause it is necessary that at least five years pass after the death of the candidate. This is to allow for greater balance and objectivity in the evaluation of the case and to allow the emotions of the moment to decant. There must be a clear conviction among people about his/her sanctity (fama sanctitas) and about the efficacy of his/her intercession with the Lord (fama signorum).

Born in Versailles (France) on the 15^th of July 1737, she was the daughter of King Louis XV and Maria Leszczynska.

In April 1770, with the consent of her father, the King of France, she entered the Carmelite monastery of Saint-Denis, and was given the name Marie-Thérèse de Saint-Augustin or Thérèse de Saint-Augustin. Her action aroused the admiration of the whole of France. Pope Clement XIV wrote her a letter to congratulate her on her action.

In the monastery, she ensured that she had no privileges, despite her royal rank. She also learned to pray on her knees, which was particularly difficult and painful for her because of a leg disability caused by a childhood accident.

After years of sacrifices, which she happily accepted, she was elected superior of the convent. She then tried to open France to the Austrian Carmelites persecuted by Emperor Joseph II, and used her influence on his nephew, the French King Louis XVI. To eliminate this influence, a plot to poison her was conceived. In November 1787, she began to suffer severe stomach pains, which became increasingly worse.

She died on 23 December 1787 after a life of asceticism and penance.

The decree on the heroicity of the virtues was promulgated on 18 December 1997.

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