Her body is still ‘incorrupt’
The corpse of a saint who died 450 years ago is being hailed as a ‘miracle’ after exhumation revealed she had been perfectly preserved.
Saint Teresa of Avila, who died in 1582 was exhumed from a church in Spain last month but experts were stunned to find she had not decayed.
The team compared images of the saint that were taken in 1914 to how she looks today and found her face was still ‘clearly visible’ and remains ‘incorrupt’.
The silver coffin encased in marble was opened to study the saint’s remains and understand the health conditions which plagued her during her life.
The exhumation took place on August 28 and was conducted by Marco Chiesa, the general Postulator of the Order at the Diocese of Avila in Spain.
Church officials posted on social media saying: “Her body is still incorrupt. Look for God’s miracles.”
The images of the saint from 1914 or last month have not been shared but the team said they plan on doing so in due course.
Speaking to the Daily Mail Chiesa said: “There is no colour, there is no skin colour, 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.”
St Teresa is the patron saint of chess players, lace makers, loss of parents, people in need of grace, people in religious orders, people ridiculed for their piety and those who are sick.
The Spanish nun became the first woman to be elevated to doctor of the church in 1970, after being canonised in March 1622.
Chiesa revealed that the team is still analysing her remains and that it is too early to release details of their additional examinations.
To access her coffin, a total of 10 keys are required such are the stringent measures the Diocese has taken to protect her body.
The keys are distributed between the Duke of Alba, the city of Alba de Tormes, and the Discalced Carmelite Father General in Rome.
Her remains were relocated to a locked room where a team of doctors and scientists will conduct visual examinations and take photographs and X-rays.
The samples will then be sent to a laboratory in Italy where it is expected to take several months before the data can be gathered and released to the public.
Chiesa said: “The Order sees fit to do this work and it will be the specialists who, after their exhaustive work, will give us conclusions.
“We know, from similar studies, that we will be able to learn data of great interest about Teresa and also recommendations for the conservation of the relics, but that will be at another stage.”
Previously, experts discovered that St Teresa suffered a health condition called calcareous spines on her feet.
Calcareous spines are sharp bones recognizant of endoskeletons found on starfish and sea urchins.
The saint also suffered from convulsions, stomach problems, dizziness and loss of consciousness.
