Maria Teresa “Teresita” González Quevedo was born on April 14, 1930, in Madrid, Spain, the youngest of three children in a devout Catholic family. Her father was Dr. Calixto González Quevedo and her mother came from a devout lineage. From an early age she was lively, spirited, and even somewhat headstrong, acquiring the nickname “venenita” (little venom), but also developing a deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary through family prayer, particularly daily recitation of the Rosary.

During her school years, Teresita’s youthful energy and talents shone: she was beloved by classmates, active in sports like basketball and tennis, and even voted best dressed. As she matured, she increasingly consecrated her daily sacrifices, her imperious impulses, and her interior life to Mary, writing that she resolved at age ten “I have decided to become a saint.” At seventeen she expressed to her parents her desire to enter religious life, and on February 23, 1948 she entered as a postulant with the Carmelites of Charity.

Shortly after entering religious life, Teresita’s health declined. In May 1949 she developed acute pleurisy, and by January 1950 she was diagnosed with tubercular meningitis. As the disease progressed rapidly, she professed her religious vows even as she received the last sacraments, and died on April 8, 1950, at just nineteen years old.