On Saturday 7 March, the 11th Congress on ‘A Monxiña do Penedo’, the Venerable M.Mª Antonia de Jesús, Foundress of the Convent of the Discalced Carmelites in Santiago de Compostela – currently run by the Contemplative Carmelite Brothers – took place.

This Congress is usually held on the Saturday before or after her birthday, 6 October; as it could not be held last year, it was moved to the Saturday closest to her Dies Natalis, 10 March.

At 10.30 am, the participants were welcomed at the parish church of Cuntis, to which the Venerable’s family belonged, by its young parish priest, Fr. Simón …..

Among them, for the first time, was Mother Ana de la Esperanza, the last Prioress of the Carmelite Monastery in Santiago, who was away from the Monastery for health reasons, awaiting her imminent return to the Holy Land.

The assembly then moved to the Cuntis Spa, where, in its conference room, a presentation on the writings of Mother María Antonia was given by Mr Manuel Longa, a priest, historian and professor, which was warmly applauded.

We have attached the text of the conference for those who wish to read it in full.

The Chair then invited Mother Ana to speak, as well as Brother Hector Adrián, who is in charge of promoting the Cause within the Community of Santiago.

This was followed by a floral offering at the stone statue of the Venerable M. María Antonia outside the parish church of Cuntis, accompanied by a prayer asking for the canonisation of the Mother and a blessing for the assembly.

A group of participants walked along the path through the eucalyptus trees towards the River Umia, specifically to Penedo, the place where the Venerable was born and where the remains of her house and the family mill are preserved.

After a festive meal and a post-lunch chat, the participants set off by coach to the Carmelite Monastery in Santiago, where the Eucharist was celebrated; flowers were also laid at the tomb containing the remains of M.Mª Antonia, and the day concluded with afternoon tea inside the monastery.

All this was done to maintain and deepen knowledge of and devotion to this little-known figure of 18th-century Spanish Carmel, whose writings form the link between the Carmelite writers contemporary to the holy Mother and the modern writings of St Thérèse and St Elizabeth of the Trinity.

text of the conference

Attached below is the Decree on the heroic virtues of the Venerable Maria Immacolata della SS. Trinità, professed religious of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and Foundress of the Carmelite Convent of the Holy Family.

Decreto Super Virtutibus

Today, 22 January 2026, during the Audience granted to His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Supreme Pontiff Leo XIV authorised the same Congregation to promulgate several Decrees, among which the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maria Immacolata of the Holy Trinity (born Maria Giselda Villela), professed religious of the Order of Discalced Carmelites and Foundress of the Carmel of the Holy Family, born on 8 July 1909 in Sapucaí, county of Jacutinga (Brazil) (the date of 12 January 1909 is not accurate, nor is his place of birth; at that time, it was common to change places and dates of birth.) and died on 20 January 1988 in Pouso Alegre (Brazil).

«Arrivato il tempo

in cui doveva nascere,

come uno sposo

uscì dal suo talamo

abbracciato alla sua sposa

che portava tra le braccia;

la graziosa Madre

lo mise in un presepe

tra alcuni animali

che là si trovavano.

Gli uomini dicevano cantici,

gli angeli melodia

festeggiando il matrimonio

tra i due personaggi;

ma Dio nel presepe

piangeva e gemeva:

erano le gioie che la sposa

portava al matrimonio;

la Madre era meravigliata

al vedere questo scambio:

il pianto dell’uomo in Dio

e nell’uomo la gioia,

cosa che all’uno e all’altro

soleva essere estranea».

[S. Giovanni della Croce]

Tanti auguri di buon Natale e buon principio d’anno a tutti dalla Postulazione generale dei Carmelitani Scalzi!

On Friday, 19 December, at noon, the Vicariate of Rome will hold the final session of the supplementary diocesan inquiries into the ‘life, virtues, reputation for holiness and signs’ of the Servants of God Ulisse Amendolagine and Lelia Cossidente, members of the Carmelite Secular Third Order.