Bl. Anne of St. Bartholomew

​Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew was born in a little village in Spain, close to Ávila, and lived from 1549-1626.  She was the sixth of seven children, born to a prosperous farming family.  Her parents were very devout, and would take all of the children to Mass each day, even if there were serious matters that required their attention.  Like many saints, Blessed Anne always felt a deep aversion to sin and a strong attraction to the things of Heaven.  

Her parents died when she was ten, and she was given the task of watching the flocks in the fields where the Child Jesus would visit her each day.   As time went on, Anne felt the call to religious life.  She was shown in a dream which monastery to enter.  It would be the convent of St. Joseph of the discalced Carmelites in Ávila, Spain which had been recently founded by St. Teresa of Ávila.  Anne was admitted as a lay sister and while there, added St. Bartholomew to her name.  She met St. Teresa of Ávila as a novice, and the Saint, upon meeting Anne, placed her in her personal service. 

Needless to say, Anne became very close to St. Teresa.  She assisted her with a great many things, even writing letters for St. Teresa, though Anne was illiterate and could not read or write.  Anne trusted that God would provide a way for everything in each circumstance she dealt with, and He did.   

St. Teresa died in the arms of Blessed Anne.  After this, many wanted to know more about St. Teresa, and Anne became a reference point for them.  It was evident to others that she had been so formed and shaped by St. Teresa, that it seemed she had assimilated her spirit.  She was ultimately sent to France, along with other religious, to introduce the Order there.​

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Adapted from Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew- Faithful Assistant of Jesus' Great Friend by Sr. Isabel Cristina Veas, EP, Heralds of the Gospel Magazine, June 2017.​

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For more information about her life, here is a podcast from Carmelite Quotes.