It appears that the remains of St Teresa of Ávila are in the same condition as they were when last inspected in 1914 – incorrupt.
The Catholic Herald
August 29, 2024
https://catholicherald.co.uk
The tomb of the great Spanish doctor of the Church was opened on 28 August in order to facilitate further studies on the saint’s remains.
A team of researchers will spend four days studying the body that still rests in the town where the saint died, Alba de Tormes, in northwestern Spain.
Carmelite Fathers Marco Chiesa, postulator general of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, and Miguel Ángel González, prior of Alba de Tormes, verified that the saint’s remains are still as they appear in photos from 1914 when the tomb was last opened, reports Spanish media ABC Castilla y León.
Father González noted that the discovery was not entirely a surprise, as the heart and the arm of the saint, which are preserved beside the urn in glass reliquaries, could be seen to remain incorrupt.
In a post on the social media platform X, the Diócesis de Ávila (Diocese of Ávila) stated:
“After the opening of the tomb of Saint Teresa, the medical and scientific team in charge of its study confirms that the body is in the same condition as after its opening in 1914. That is, the body of the saint from #Ávila is still incorrupt.”
Tras la apertura del sepulcro de Santa Teresa, el equipo médico y científico que se encarga de su estudio confirma que el cuerpo está en las mismas condiciones que tras su apertura en 1914. Esto es, el cuerpo de la santa de #Ávila sigue incorrupto. https://t.co/VaYu1xVW7h
— Diócesis de Ávila (@diocesisdeavila) August 28, 2024
St Teresa died in 1582 and due to her growing fame and sainthood, some of her remains were dispersed around Europe as holy relics. But the rest of her body, including her heart and arm, remain kept under careful vigilance in Alba de Tormes.
So much so that, reportedly, to open the urn containing her body, 10 separate keys are needed; three of which are kept in Rome.
The researchers are hoping to be able to determine more about the life of the saint, especially the types of illnesses she endured, and which caused great suffering, before she died aged 67 years old.
They also hope to gain more information about how the relics could be best preserved for the future.
The news follows the recent announcement that after a months-long investigation in the US, the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, OSB, who died in 2019, appears to be incorrupt.
The study, conducted by medical experts and commissioned by the Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, has confirmed that there were no signs of decomposition when the body of the foundress of the traditionalist Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles was exhumed in 2023.
“Within the limits of what has been observed during this time, the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster does not appear to have experienced the decomposition that would have normally been expected under such previous burial conditions,” Bishop James V. Johnston, said in a statement on 22 August.
