The program of activities surrounding the veneration includes liturgical celebrations, processions, concerts, guided tours, and conferences, as well as the participation of prominent figures from the religious sphere. Among the most notable moments of the first week were the Mass celebrated on May 14 by the Archbishop of Valladolid and President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Luis Argüello, and the Mass held on May 15 in the Basilica of the Annunciation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel by the Apostolic Nuncio to Spain, Monsignor Bernardito Auza, representing the Holy See. He was accompanied by a large delegation of civil, ecclesiastical, and military authorities. Among the attendees were the Director General of the World Network of Religious Tourism (WNRT), María del Pilar Valdés, and the Network’s Coordinator in Spain, Mrs. Kata Sara Gyuricza Székely, who reaffirmed the central role that Saint Teresa’s legacy plays in promoting religious and cultural tourism.
It is worth noting that the “Huellas de Teresa” network is a member of the World Network of Religious Tourism, a program driven by the Tourism and Society Think Tank (TSTT) as part of its global strategy to promote spiritual destinations and interreligious dialogue through sustainable tourism.
In Valdés’ words, “Saint Teresa remains a living beacon of spirituality, a source of universal inspiration, and a catalyst for local development in the towns that make up the ‘Huellas de Teresa’ network.”
The event also featured the participation of the Duke of Alba, representatives from the Vatican, the Discalced Carmelite Order, and various heritage and cultural institutions. Tens of thousands of people have already visited Alba de Tormes in the first days of the veneration, with an even greater turnout expected during the closing weekend. The full program and schedule of celebrations can be found on the Alba de Tormes Town Hall website:
https://albadetormes.com/noticias/Descarga-la-programacion-y-los-horarios-de-la-veneracion-del-cuerpo-de-Santa-Teresa-de-jesus-del-11-al-25-de-mayo-en-Alba-de-tormes/
The “Huellas de Teresa” network, which can be explored in detail through its official website www.huellasdeteresa.com, promotes a spiritual, cultural, and heritage route connecting 14 Spanish towns where the saint left her founding legacy. Alba de Tormes, as the place of her death and final resting place, stands as one of the most sacred milestones along this route.
Through this extraordinary veneration, the name of Saint Teresa of Jesus once again takes center stage in international religious and public life, renewing the devotion that generations of faithful have kept alive for over four centuries. Her mystical and reforming figure continues to attract believers, scholars, and pilgrims from around the world—today, just as in the past.
