On the 28 and 29 of September 2024 the Teresian Association gathered around Our Lady of Covadonga for our annual pilgrimage. This is an occasion when we express our gratitude and offer the fruits of our mission, in acknowledgement of the gifts we have received this year.
This is a special year as we are celebrating the centenary of pontifical approval. It is also a year of new beginnings after the 19th General Assembly in 2023.
The nine representatives who presented the votive offering come from Bolivia, Chile, Spain, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Italy – from different parts of the world and with different roles in the mission of the TA. They were joined by people from all over Spain and from Italy, Bolivia, Portugal, etc. 
Testimonies of life and mission
On the morning of 29 September, the nine representatives told us about the mission projects and activities that they carry out back home together with other members and co-workers who were also remembered.
Maria Carmen Aragonés, director of the sector in Spain, welcomed the participants and thanked the new Abbot, D. David Cueto, for having facilitated the holding of these events at that venue.
Five members of the General Council also joined the pilgrimage. The Director of the TA, Gregoria Ruiz, was unable to be present and the vice-president, Maria Rita Martín, read out her message.
In her message she said, ‘When I wrote the letter of invitation back in April, I stressed that Mary was waiting for us here, and that is how it is and how we feel! She, the mother and disciple, is always there, accompanying her children on the pilgrimage of life, bringing them closer and lovingly showing them the way to follow the Master.’
After the testimonies -- which conveyed much faith, love of vocation, dedicated life, achievements and dreams --, everyone could go out and enjoy the mountain air and sunshine before Mass.
For more information about the testimonies, please go to this report.
Union with the Vine which is Christ
At midday, a group of about two hundred people gathered again in the Basilica for Mass. Those who had made the votive offering and other TA members took part in the readings and prayers.
The Mass was presided by the newly-appointed Abbot, David Cueto, who had words of acknowledgement and encouragement for those in the Church who are grafted into the Vine that is Christ through the charism of St Pedro Poveda. ‘Each charism, he said, has something very particular to contribute to society and to the Church. The TA has a very specific way of speaking to the world about Jesus Christ’. To ‘be able to give Christ, you must first have Christ’, he stressed, adding that the reason for this pilgrimage is to go to the roots, to renew oneself from the origin and the source, so that the fruits may be good and salvific. ‘May the Lord continue to bless you and help you to keep on reinvigorating this charism,’ he concluded.
After communion, the nine representatives said the prayer of the votive offering before Our Lady.
Events held the day before
Those who would make the votive offering and many of the pilgrims were already in and around Covadonga on Saturday afternoon.
There were two events that day. The votive offering representatives met with the Council and other TA leaders in the Casina, the TA house open to host small group activities in this holy place. There was also prayer together with the pilgrims in the Basilica at 19:30. The Gospel passage about the Annunciation was read. it was an opportunity to remember what Pedro Poveda said about the origin of this votive offering, and also to give thanks for these one hundred years since the pontifical approval of the ‘good idea’ of the founder and to pray for the needs of the world.
At the conclusion of the pilgrimage to Covadonga 2024, all felt joy and gratitude for these occasions that unite the whole Association with its Marian origin and open it up to the needs of the world.
TA Info.
TA Traslation Team.
Published in News