The Basilica of San Juan de Ávila, in Montilla (Córdoba), will once again be a jubilee temple for a semester, from January 6 to May 31, 2026, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the priestly ordination of the Doctor of the Church whose relics are venerated in this place.
According to information provided by the Diocese of Córdoba, the Apostolic Penitentiary has granted this jubilee period, during which the faithful who pilgrimage to the basilica will be able to receive the plenary indulgence, in accordance with the conditions established by the Church. The concession is recorded in a decree of the bishop of Córdoba, which refers to the protocol of the Apostolic Penitentiary (Rel. Prot. nº 1054-55/25/l).
With this new jubilee, Montilla will once again become an important pilgrimage center, as it already happened in 2019 and during the jubilee triennium celebrated between 2012 and 2015 on the occasion of the proclamation of San Juan de Ávila as Doctor of the Universal Church.
In the framework of this jubilee semester, a tour of the relics of the saint through Spanish seminaries is planned, as well as the solemn celebration of his feast day on May 7, which will feature the presence of a prominent ecclesiastical figure and nine bishops, coinciding with the novena in his honor.
The diocese has once again emphasized the deep connection of San Juan de Ávila with Montilla, the town to which he arrived in the mid-16th century after being called by Catalina Fernández de Córdoba, second Marchioness of Priego, to provide spiritual care for her children.
Born on January 6, 1500 in Almodóvar del Campo (Ciudad Real), San Juan de Ávila —known as the Apostle of Andalusia— studied Law in Salamanca and Theology at the University of Alcalá de Henares. He was the founder of centers for Theology and Humanities in Baeza, Granada and Córdoba, as well as numerous colleges in various Andalusian cities, leaving a lasting mark on the spiritual and cultural history of the region.