Celebrating the four women doctors of the Church

The Church categorizes saints, and one of the lesser known categories, but one of great importance, is that of Doctor of the Church. Not a medical doctor, this title is meant to convey something like the gravitas of a doctoral degree. The Doctors of the Church are the saints that many of us need to understand the faith better and, more than that, to grow in our relationship with the Lord.

Nestled among these 37 great saints are four women Doctors of the Church, the only women in Church history to rise to this distinction.

St. Hildegard of Bingen, born in 1098 to a noble family, experienced mystical visions from a young age. She entered religious life early, where her talents flourished. At 43, her visions were authenticated by Church theologians, leading her to document them in “The Scivias.” 

She received papal permission to travel and preach, a rare privilege for women of her time. St. Hildegard’s theology emphasized finding God through the senses. A prolific writer, she authored the first known morality play, lyrical poetry, a cookbook, medical treatises, and even created her own language. 

Her music remains celebrated globally. St. Hildegard died in 1179 and was canonized in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI, who also declared her a Doctor of the Church. Her feast day is Sept. 17.

St. Catherine of Siena, born in 1347, was the youngest of 25 children in a respected family. She consecrated herself to Christ early, refusing marriage and joining the third-order Dominicans, allowing her to live at home. Initially a hermit, she later traveled extensively, influencing Church and Italian politics. 

Known for her clear insights into Church leaders’ sins, she prioritized obedience to the Lord and the Church, striving to draw people to Christ and bring peace. 

Catherine is credited with ending the Avignon Papacy and returning the pope to Rome. She wrote extensively, with nearly 400 letters surviving, offering advice to spiritual children and Church leaders. Her mystical experiences included dictating “The Dialogue,” a blend of theology and personal prayer. At 28, she received the stigmata. St. Catherine died at 33 and was canonized in 1461. Her feast day is April 29.

St. Teresa of Avila, born Teresa Sanchez de Cepeda y Ahumada on March 28, 1515, came from Spanish nobility. Influenced by the lives of saints, she and her brother once ran away to become martyrs. 

At age 20, Teresa entered the local Carmelite convent. This particular convent was known for being lax in its practices, and as a result, the extroverted and popular Teresa spent a great deal of time socializing in the parlor with visitors. Indeed, for years, she struggled greatly, torn between the worldly and the divine.

Her full conversion at age 40 led to a deep spiritual awakening and the restoration of the Carmelite order, founding the Discalced Carmelites. Despite resistance, she established 16 new convents. Teresa wrote extensively to guide her sisters toward greater intimacy with God. Her most famous work, “The Interior Castle,” details the soul’s journey to Christ, blending theological truths with relatable insights.

St. Teresa of Avila died at age 67 in 1582. She was canonized a mere 40 years after her death in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. Her feast day is Oct. 15.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux was the youngest of nine children to Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin and was deeply loved by her family. 

After her mother’s death when she was 4, Thérèse was raised by her father and older sisters. She felt called to religious life early and, during a pilgrimage to Rome, asked the pope for permission to enter the Carmelite order at 15. Despite his refusal, she joined Carmel at 15. Thérèse struggled with scrupulosity and depression but maintained a deep, childlike faith in God’s love. 

Her doctrine of faith, “Story of a Soul,” written under her prioress’s order, preaches holiness through ordinary life and total trust in God. This work led her to become the youngest Doctor of the Church. Thérèse died at the tender age of 24 of tuberculosis. She was canonized in 1925, and her feast day is Oct. 1.

Throughout Church history, various academic and religious (and sometimes both) groups have petitioned the Holy See to add other women to the list of Doctors of the Church. Among them are St. Faustina, who through her visions and writings, the Church has come to a deeper understanding of Christ’s merciful love, and her insights into the Divine Mercy of Our Lord have changed the face of the Church. 

Another is St. Edith Stein, a Carmelite woman who actually did hold a doctoral degree. Her doctoral dissertation was on the subject of empathy, a topic that she would return to in later writings after her conversion to Catholicism. Within her 28 volumes of writings, there is ample theological insight of value to the entirety of the Church.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is yet another woman whose writings have influenced the entirety of the Church. Her name might be less familiar to many than other saints, but the devotion to the Sacred Heart, which we owe to her, is not.

There are more women — these are only three examples — to be found within the Church’s history and, more women Doctors of the Church to come in the future. †