Saint of the day July 28: San Pedro Poveda. Catholic Saints

Every July 28, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Pedro Poveda Castroverde, priest, educator, writer and founder of the Teresian Institution, an international association of lay professionals founded in 1911. Father Poveda was murdered out of hatred for the faith in the days of the Spanish Civil War.

The Teresian Institution—its most notable work—today manages various projects linked to education and culture (schools, universities, social centers, publishing houses and cultural centers).

Holy humanist, holy humanist

Pedro José Luis Francisco Javier Poveda Castroverde was born in Linares, Jaén (Spain), on December 3, 1874. He entered the seminary in his hometown and concluded his studies in Guadix, where he would be ordained a priest in 1897.

The priestly life of San Pedro Poveda was characterized by his intense humanist and pedagogical work, both dedicated to providing access to education to those most in need and to the formation of the laity committed to Christian values. He also participated in the work of assisting pilgrims of the Collegiate Church of Covadonga (Asturias) while he held the position of canon there in 1906.

Spreading Christian culture

Starting in 1911, Father Poveda launched his most interesting project, mentioned above: he dedicated himself to the founding of academies and pedagogical centers that would later become the basis of the organization he would found, the Teresian Institution (IT). The saint’s purpose was for the Gospel to effectively penetrate the cultural world, into social life, both infiltrated by values ​​and ideas far from God.

The Teresian Institution was born with that idea, and Poveda considered it essential to generate “spaces” in which professional Catholics (teachers, intellectuals, health workers, etc.) come together and be a voice that is heard and seen by everyone. With this objective, the IT became an international association of Catholic lay professionals dedicated to the promotion of educational centers of different levels (school and university), as well as cultural centers, social assistance centers and publishing houses. The Teresian Institution has pontifical approval granted by Pope Pius XI on January 11, 1924.

Unfortunately, years later, Father Poveda—already recognized by various sectors of Spanish society for his openness to dialogue with different conceptual positions—would end up facing the fateful days of the Spanish civil war, within the framework of which a terrible persecution against the Catholics.

First things first: priest

Father Poveda was arrested on July 27, 1936 in his house in Madrid, located on Alameda Street Nº8. Hours later, during the early hours of July 28, he gave his life for the sake of his faith: he was shot in the Almudena Cemetery.

“I am a priest of Christ!” he shouted at the top of his voice, over and over again, to those who detained him and led him to the sacrifice.

Saint Pedro Poveda Castroverde was canonized by Pope Saint John Paul II on Sunday, May 4, 2003, during the Holy Father’s visit to Spain.

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