The Teresian Association in France held a celebration in Paris on 23 November for the centenary of the pontifical approval of the TA. The event included the presentation of a book, Mass in the parish church and the inauguration of a new meeting place. Two participants give us a first-person account of the occasion.
As with all big events, the lead up to the celebration of the centenary of the pontifical approval in France was a busy time. We decided to hold the celebration in conjunction with the opening of our new TA venue in Paris. We also wanted to celebrate it with the Sector director, Renate Wolf, and with the wider TA family in some neighbouring countries in our Sector –Belgium and Luxembourg.
We also chose to hold almost all the events in our parish church and premises because of the space they had available. We worked together in preparing to welcome everyone and in finishing the installation of our new meeting place. We were busy decorating and dealing with unforeseen events. The day finally arrived and we celebrated it with the universal TA in our hearts.
The feelings of gratitude and joy stood out. The TA president, Gregoria Ruiz, said in her Letter of the year 2024, ‘What a joy and what a blessing to finally celebrate the centenary of the Church's approval of the Work of Poveda. And what gratitude and joy fill our hearts for having come this far!’
Joy and gratitude
Between attendees and congratulatory messages, there was an international presence from Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela.
There were good friends, TA members, parishioners and invited guests, and each gave testimony in their own way of what they had experienced or perceived from contact with the TA.
A special gift
Anniversaries are occasions for gifts. Our gift was to translate into French María Dolores Gómez Molleda's work Cristianos en la sociedad laica, Chrétiens dans une société laïque. We had the help of a translator and it was published by Narcea Ediciones. The book was presented by Carmen Rita García, director of the critical edition of Pedro Poveda's work, on Saturday 23 November.
Carmen Rita’s excellent presentation had two parts. There was a tribute to the author, María Dolores Gómez Molleda (1922-2017) and a presentation of Pedro Poveda and his writings, highlighting both his pioneering spirit and the topicality of his thought. Poveda ‘reveals a new dimension in the way of life of lay Christians that encourages people of the 21st century to reflect.’
Musical interludes (saxophone, flute, etc.) provided opportunities for the guests to prepare questions and observations. Among the various reactions from the audience, we were moved by the intervention of the French translator of the book. Unfamiliar with the Teresian Association, he spoke of a real encounter with Pedro Poveda, which brought him back to these fundamental questions: ‘Why are we here? for whom are we here? Poveda's answer to these questions is commitment, and that message speaks to me.’
Joy and gratitude
We are thankful for the warm welcome received by the parish of Sainte-Anne de la Butte-aux-Cailles where the TA has been present for decades. The choice to participate in the parish Mass was one way of following the spirit of Resolution 1 of the TA International Meeting of Member Associations –we share the charism by being present in our local churches.
Many people stayed after the Mass to ask us questions and get to know us better. In this way, promising links for the future were being forged.
Joy and gratitude
The new Espace Poveda is near the parish church and in a neighbourhood of artists, students, migrants and solidarity associations. It is a small but charming space. We want it to be open and welcoming, where faith, cultures and solidarity meet. It will be a place to share our charism with those around us. It is not by chance that the kitchen-dining room table is so big!
The buffet was prepared by the Table de Cana, an association that aims to integrate people through sustainable employment. We finished by sharing the birthday cake and blowing out the candles.
This centenary landmark sends us forth to live fully the call of the International Meeting which was ‘Teresian Association, arise: Go forward as befits the charism you have received.’
Yes, we feel very grateful for the 100 years of pontifical approval of the TA and for our joyful celebration. We have great hope for the future.
Sylvie Rouffiat and Toña Somoano, Paris.
TA Translators Team.
Published in News