There is a fascinating article at the Diocese of Avila about the examination of the body of St. Teresa of Avila. It is in Spanish. HERE
“Today the tomb of Saint Teresa was opened and we have verified that it is in the same condition as when it was last opened in 1914.” This is the most anticipated statement on this 28th of August, and it was pronounced by the Postulator General of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, Fr. Marco Chiesa. And it is the first conclusion reached by the experts after the opening on 28th of August of the tomb of the Saint of Avila , whose body has remained incorrupt since 1582.
This is interesting…
The process to reach the silver urn that contains the body of Saint Teresa is extremely complex. First, the marble slab in the tomb had to be removed. Then, in the room used for the studies that the Saint’s major relics will undergo, and only with the presence of the scientific medical team and the members of the ecclesiastical court, the silver tomb was opened. The tomb, according to them, had attracted their attention due to its “excellent” workmanship and the “magnificent” state of preservation in which it was found, and which was given to them at the time by King Ferdinand VI and his wife Barbara of Braganza.
To begin the study of the relics of the heart, arm and hand of Saint Teresa, the collaboration of the Salamancan goldsmiths Ignacio Manzano Martín and Constantino Martín Jaén was counted on, who will be present on the first and last day of work. And the famous ten keys of the tomb were used: the three that are kept in Alba de Tormes, the three that the Duke of Alba lent them, and the three that the Father General keeps in Rome, in addition to the king’s key. Three of these keys are to open the outer gate, three are to open the marble tomb, and the other four are to open the silver urn.
There are various photos which show the process of opening and examining.
These matters are always carried out with punctilious care, heavily documented and witnessed. The Church takes relics extremely seriously and their custody is undertaken with exactitude.
The postulator of the Order also recalled that the images from 1914 are in black and white, so “it is difficult to make a comparison.” However, he affirmed that “the parts that have been uncovered, which are the face and the foot, are the same as they were in 1914.” “There is no color, there is no skin color, because the skin is mummified, but it can be seen, especially in the middle of the face. It can be seen well. The expert doctors can see Teresa’s face almost clearly,” he stressed.
Two more points about St. Teresa.
First, Teresa died in 1582 on the night that the Gregorian Calendar took over from the previous Julian Calendar, which was off several days. With the implementation of the Gregorian calendar 5–14 October were skipped. So, Teresa died either on 4 October (if she died before midnight) or on 15 October (if she died after). Very often saints’ feasts are the day they died and were “born” into heaven. Teresa’s feast, in any event, is on 15 October… her other birthday.
Also, St. Teresa, apart from being a Doctor of the Church, is also the Patroness of Chess Players.
It is interesting that St. Teresa talks about the queen. That is a piece with a truly fascinating history.
A chessy history book:
Birth of the Chess Queen: A History
The author is a feminist, but the book is pretty good history. It was really interesting.
St. Teresa, pray for us.
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Why do they not have photos available to the public of what was taken in 1914 or of the current examinations? Seems to be a wonderful opportunity for the faithful.
Please help me to understand how a saint’s body is determined to be incorrupt. I’ve seen what are alleged to be the images from 1914, particularly the face, and it does not seem very well preserved. Are my expectation too high for this type of miracle?
The book the INCORRUPTIBLES. Great read.
Their source: trust me, bro
I’m often disturbed when I see, on social media, posts about the incorrupt remains of saints, because there are often pictures of the face and hands of a saint, and people don’t know that what they’re looking at are a face and hands covered with a wax or silicone mask. I try to point out as courteously as I can that the remains are incorrupt because they haven’t rotted, but that the remains do dry out and discolor and that what they see is a mask.
On a somewhat related point, isn’t it correct to refer to them as the “incorrupt” and not the “incorruptibles?”
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This all makes me realize how incredible it was that so many of us got to see and touch Sr. Wilhelmina. What a huge blessing for our time!
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us!
So many Incorruptibles, so little time.
I am reminded that she died at the height (worst) of the English martyrdom, and Spain was the mortal enemy of England. So now I am wondering what St Teresa had to say about Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, et al.
The body of Padre Pio had been in a mostly glass tomb for years (and very visible) before it was put into an enclosed gold tomb inside a lower crypt in a new church built with Fr Rupnik’s mosaics inside that church. Someone somewhere gave the Capuchin Franciscans that corrupt money for a poor incorrupt Saint. The old retirement home went begging.
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I didn’t realize that St. Teresa was so petite in stature. There’s a picture of her lying in the tomb when they opened it in the early 1900s. I wasn’t expecting to see a complete body in such a small tomb.
I also noticed, with slight envy, it’s lack of tarnishing. I can’t keep anything made of silver from tarnishing for more than a week, let alone 100+ years!