The remains of St. Teresa of Avila were found to be incorrupt after her tomb was opened recently on August 28, 2024 in Alba de Tormes, Spain.
The discovery was made during the first examination of the saint’s body since 1914, when it was also noted that her remains were in pristine condition.
Father Marco Chiesa, the Postulator General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, said they “have verified that it is in the same condition as when it was last opened in 1914.”
The examination of her remains is part of a new study authorized by the Vatican to understand more about the saint’s life and the preservation of her relics.
The process of opening the tomb was complex, involving multiple keys, with three kept in Alba de Tormes, three in Rome, and three on loan from the Duke of Alba. They “moved the reliquaries with austerity and solemnity to the place set aside for study. We did so singing the Te Deum with our hearts full of emotion,” explained Father Miguel Ángel González, the Carmelite prior of Alba de Tormes.
The study will focus on analyzing the remains and determining the state of St. Teresa’s body at the time of her death in 1582. Researchers hope to learn more about the ailments she suffered, such as the bone spurs found in her foot that made walking painful. “But she walked. Alba de Tormes came and, then, death, but her desire was to continue and move forward, despite her physical defects,” Father Chiesa said.
The study, conducted by Italian doctors and scientists, will be completed in three phases over the next few months. Before the final closure of the tomb, an appropriate time will be set aside for the veneration of St. Teresa’s relics by the faithful, according to the Diocese of Ávila.
St. Teresa of Ávila, pray for us!
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