Teresa was born in 1515 in Ávila. She proved at an early age that she was an intelligent and thoughtful person. Teresa and her brother, Rodrigo, didn’t play the same games that the other children played. Instead, they preferred to go to the garden and read. They were most interested in reading the Bible and the stories of the lives of the saints.
Only two popes in history have been given the title “the Great.” Pope Leo is one of them. Leo was born in Tuscany in Italy around the year 400 and served as an advisor and diplomat for two popes. He was still a deacon when he was elected pope. Pope Leo was the first pope to call himself the successor to St. Peter.
Albertus Magnus was interested in everything. He was fascinated by the relationship between faith and science. He studied astronomy and biology and loved logic and math. He pored over maps and hiked in the mountains to learn more about geography. He was the kind of student who challenged teachers to prepare lessons that satisfied his need to learn.
John was born in 676 and raised in Damascus. His father worked for the Muslim government which controlled the city, but John’s family were faithful Christians and respected in the community. John inherited his father’s job, but he resigned when people began to complain that a Muslim, not a Christian, should have the job.
God gave many talents to Saint Ambrose. He used them to keep the Church true to God's Word. In 340 AD, Ambrose was born in Trier, one of Germany's oldest cities. His father served there as an important Roman soldier. When he grew up, Ambrose became a lawyer and was the governor of Milan in Italy.
Born in 1542, John was raised in Spain by a widowed mother who could barely provide for her sons. At a young age, he worked in a hospital and developed a great love for the poor and the sick. He sometimes felt that he was in the presence of Jesus when he was tending the patients. But John wanted to become even closer to God. He became a Carmelite friar when he was almost 20 years old.