The city of Ávila is preparing to celebrate the solemnity of Saint Teresa of Jesus, its patron saint, on October 15, with a program of religious services that will have the Basilica of the Saint and the Cathedral of the Savior as its main venues. The traditional novena, the musical events dedicated to Carmelite spirituality, and the procession of the images of Saint Teresa and the Virgin of Charity will once again take center stage in the celebrations.
The Diocese of Ávila has announced the religious program, which began on Wednesday, October 7, with the novena in the basilica built on the site of the saint’s birth. The services will continue until Thursday, October 15, the day of her liturgical feast.
During these days, the basilica hosts the daily recitation of the Holy Rosary, the novena, and the celebration of Mass, offering the faithful the opportunity to spiritually prepare for one of the most important feasts on the Ávila religious calendar.
A week dedicated to Carmelite spirituality
Among the scheduled events is a recital dedicated to Saint Teresa of Jesus and Saint John of the Cross, which will take place on Saturday, October 10, at 8:45 p.m. in the Basilica of the Saint. The initiative recalls the close bond between both Doctors of the Church, protagonists of the Carmelite reform and authors of some of the fundamental works of Spanish spiritual literature.
On Monday, October 12, a Rocío Mass will be celebrated in the basilica, with the participation of the choir of the3 Brotherhood of Our Lady of Rocío of Ávila. The celebration, revived in 2024 after several years of absence, will begin at 1:00 p.m.
That same day, a public reading of the Book of the Foundations is scheduled at the Convent of Saint Joseph, one of the works in which Saint Teresa recounted the difficulties, travels, and spiritual experiences that accompanied the expansion of her religious reform.
This year’s celebrations also include the presentation of the Medal of Isabella the Catholic to the image of Saint Teresa, which took place during the first days of the novena in a ceremony presided over by the Bishop of Ávila, Monsignor Jesús Rico García.
The image of Saint Teresa will once again walk the streets of Ávila
On Wednesday, October 14, the eve of the feast, solemn vespers will be celebrated in the Basilica of the Saint at 6:30 p.m., with the participation of the bishop and the cathedral chapter. Afterward, the image of Saint Teresa, the work of sculptor Gregorio Fernández, will be transferred to the Cathedral of the Savior.
On Thursday, October 15, the cathedral will host the solemn Mass of the patron saint at 11:00 a.m., presided over by Monsignor José Luis Serrano Pentinat, Bishop of Urgell and co-prince of Andorra, and concelebrated by the Bishop of Ávila and other priests.
After the Eucharist, the traditional procession through the streets of the historic center will begin, in which the images of Saint Teresa of Jesus and the Virgin of Charity will participate. The joint presence of both images recalls a particularly significant episode from the saint’s childhood.
The Virgin whom Saint Teresa asked to be her Mother
In the Book of Her Life, Saint Teresa recounts that, after losing her mother as a young girl, she approached an image of the Blessed Virgin to ask her to take her as her Mother. Ávila tradition identifies that image with Our Lady of Charity, who participates each year in the patron saint’s procession.
This memory gives the celebration a meaning that goes beyond local tradition. Saint Teresa’s relationship with the Virgin Mary is part of her spiritual journey and the life of prayer she developed from her youth until she became one of the great teachers of the Church.
The procession will conclude at the Basilica of the Saint, where the images will remain for part of the day for the veneration of the faithful. At the end of the afternoon services, the farewell of both images will take place: Saint Teresa will remain in her basilica, and the Virgin of Charity will return to the cathedral.
Ávila will once again honor its patron saint through a celebration that brings together liturgy, Carmelite spirituality, and a religious tradition closely linked to the history of the city.