Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, has sent a message of congratulations to the Teresian Association on the occasion of the centenary of the pontifical approval of the Association by Pope Pius XI.
The message was addressed to “dear friends of the Teresian Association” and it was read aloud by the vice-president of the TA, María Rita Martín Artacho, at the start of Mass presided by the Bishop of Getafe, Ginés García Beltrán, in Santa María de Los Negrales (Madrid, Spain) on the feast of St Pedro Poveda.
Priest and champion of the laity
One of the things emphasised by the cardinal in his message was that the TA founder “was a profoundly priestly soul, in love with his vocation and his total consecration to Christ, [...] at the same time, he sensed the need to advocate for the shared responsibility and commitment of the laity and especially of women. He saw how they were active players from the beginning in taking the new association forward. He was a firm defender of the inseparable link between faith and science, between Christian wisdom and secular culture.”
The Mass was held at the place where the remains of St Pedro Poveda rest. It was attended by about three hundred people, members of the TA and friends from different places, including a group of pilgrims from Italy. In other parts of the world where the TA is present there are celebrations on this date that marks the anniversary of the martyrdom of Pedro Poveda.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life TA President and Vice-president.
The relevance today of Saint Pedro Poveda
In this message to the TA, Cardinal Farrell mentions some aspects of the charism of St Pedro Poveda. He considers him to be “a figure of extraordinary relevance”. He also pointed to other “exemplary figures” in the history of the TA “starting with the first president Josefa Segovia, the first martyr Victoria Díez, and Elisa Giambelluca and so many others.”
The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity wrote that today “in the changed social and cultural conditions of the contemporary world, the Teresian Association is called to give new impetus to the role of the laity and especially of women. You can use your remarkable educational skills to cultivate love of knowledge and the sciences; to nurture in young people boundless faith like Poveda had and not to yield to pessimistic views; to teach young people a love of freedom and to engage continuously in searching for original and creative educational methods, as St Poveda always urged you to do. Above all, sustain your commitment in schools, in cultural institutions and in all areas of civil and professional life with a rich interior life, nourished especially with great love for the Eucharist, something that accompanied St Poveda throughout his life.”
Here you can read the full message from Cardinal Farrell (in Spanish).
TA Info.
TA Translations Team.
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