Members of the Teresian Association, family members, collaborators, and friends gathered on September 27 and 28 for the annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Covadonga, fulfilling the promise made by Pedro Poveda in 1934.
Pilgrims accompanied Rebecca Calaor, Barnabé Mombula, Patricia Stockton, Rocío Rosado, Magda Alcalá, Emilia Paniagua, and Brigitte Krach, who this year presented to La Santina the fruits of life and mission that the TA carries out in Africa, America, Asia, and Europe.
The President of the TA, Gregoria Ruiz, and several members of the Governing Council also joined in the events.
Two attitudes
The 2025 pilgrimage is part of the jubilee year of hope that the whole Church is celebrating. In her letter of invitation, Gregoria Ruiz called for two attitudes:
- Moving forward as a TA community in the culture of encounter, which is built through dialogue, the only path to peace.
- Strengthening communion, based on the conviction that there is strength in unity.
The Cathedral hosted three open and noteworthy events that numerous people were able to follow on the Shrine's YouTube channel.
Look and look attentively
The central moment of the pilgrimage was the midday Eucharist, presided by the Abbot of the Shrine, Fr. David Cueto and concelebrated by Fr. José Antonio Montoto, director of the Diocesan Priests' House. The offering, readings, and prayers of the Mass were led by the participants who were presenting the offering and other members of the TA. The hymns were sung by Tomás Camblor accompanied on the organ by Fernando Álvarez.
TThe Abbot referred to the pilgrimage of the Teresian Association, emphasizing that the message of this 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time is full of wisdom and connected to what the participants at the offering had shared in their testimonies earlier. The teaching of the text of the rich man and poor Lazarus, he said in his homily, is not only about money, but about distance, the door that separates the two protagonists. “The drama of this parable is indifference. At our door there are many Lazaruses: suffering, wars, division, families who cannot make ends meet, women who do not exist, the elderly... Our first mission, in order to transform the world, is to learn to look and look attentively, with a good gaze, from a good heart.” He gave, as an example, Jesus' gaze at the young man—“looking at him, he loved him”—and Mary's gaze. He referred to how La Santina looks at the millions of visitors to the Cave of Covadonga, with a compassionate and transforming gaze.
At the end of the Eucharist, the offerers recited the votive prayer, a simple prayer of offering from the Teresian Association to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Testimonies of life and mission
At 9:00 a.m., pilgrims were already in the Cathedral, greeting each other and taking their seats to listen to the testimonies of the offerers in the first event of the day. Inés Carbajal, Director of the TA in this northern area, introduced the speakers. First, Mª Carmen Aragonés, Sector Director of the TA in Spain, welcomed everyone and thanked the Abbot, D. David Cueto, for facilitating these events on the premises.
Invoking the Virgin Mary, María Carmen Aragonés said: “We come to you with a special prayer for peace. Be our mediator in our daily difficulties, in our sleepless nights and fatigue. Give us the strength to defend the weak and make us, together with many others, builders of peace and bearers of hope, wherever we may be.”
Then, the TA President, Gregoria Ruiz, in her message to the pilgrims and offerers, referred to the critical world situation that calls us to "go to the Source... to listen to the unmistakable voice of God that challenges us and leads us to where Hope springs forth. That hope that nothing and no one can take away from us, that makes us move forward without fear along the paths of freedom, honesty, and denunciation on behalf of those who do not have the strength to cry out and feel abandoned to their fate."
Rebeca Calaor, a Filipina PA member who has lived in the Holy Land since 1983, represented Asia. She brought to her testimony the painful reality, “the unspeakable suffering and senseless loss of life.” She also spoke of the “voices that do not give up, but work to build bridges of dialogue and understanding,” even though they are sometimes silenced. She also mentioned the migrants who arrive in Amman and Jerusalem “in search of better opportunities and find themselves caught in the crossfire.” She concluded by reading the prayer of two Palestinian ACIT members.
Barnabé Mombula Mopambo (Africa), ACIT member from DR of Congo, researcher and entrepreneur, also referred to the conflict and violence in his country caused by inequality, corruption, and injustice. Through the intercession of Saint Pedro Poveda, he asked God for compassion, mercy, hope... He also expressed how TA can strengthen communion in his context.
Patricia Stockton, a PA member from the US, born in Peru, referred to her call to social action from a very early age. She now works with immigrants in Miami on a project launched by three entities. “The purpose of this project is to help undocumented people who do not have the means to obtain their papers to formalize their legal status,” she shared.
Rocío Rosado (Europe), PA member who lives in Guadix, where she launched and coordinates the Creciendo Socio-Educational Project. When presenting it in her testimony, she said: “Our main task is to accompany adolescents and young people... Our proposal is simple but demanding: to be close to them, listen to them, guide them, and help them grow as people, not only academically, but in all aspects of their lives, preparing them and facilitating the path towards their future.”
Magda Alcalá and Emilia Paniagua, PA members, represented the International TA Youth Network. They have been living in Belgium since 2020 and from there they promote walking with young people in the TA in a coordinated and collaborative way through networking. They presented to La Santina the TA's commitment to continue being close to young people, to believe in them, to count on them, and to learn with them, with the certainty that they are the strength of the world and the hope for the future.
Brigitte Krach, German, former student of the Theresianum University Residence in Munich. She belongs to the Protestant Church and collaborates permanently with Solidarität und Kultur as Vice-President and Project Coordinator. Solidarität und Kultur is a solidarity association that was created at a meeting of former students 35 years ago. They support projects of the Association in Germany, Argentina, DR of Congo, and Cameroon. 
Prayer Vigil
On the eve of these events, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the offerers and pilgrims who had been able to arrive held a prayer vigil, prepared by the group from Guadix accompanying one of the offerers.
The prayer began with a small procession of miniature clay chimneys reminiscent of the caves of Guadix, and the texts and songs referred to Poveda's work there. An action song was performed by everyone, helping to integrate the being “from the depths” into God.
Many of those who participated in the pilgrimage were able to share Sunday lunch before returning to their places of origin. The common feeling was one of gratitude for having participated once again in these events that bring together the whole Association, linking it to its Marian origins. As a commitment and desire shared in conversations and in the silence of prayer, there was a unanimous prayer: that peace and hope may make their way into our world.
TA Info, from Covadonga.
TA Translation Team.
Testimonies
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Eucharist
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Votive prayer
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Highlights
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