Today, July 28, is the memorial of Saint Pedro Poveda.
Founder of the Teresian Institute.
Born in 1874 in Linares, Spain to a pious family, Pedro felt an early call to the priesthood. He entered the seminary in Jaen, Spain in 1889, then the seminary of Guadix, Grenada, Spain. He was ordained in 1897.
He taught at the seminary, continued his studies, and received his licentiate in theology in Seville in 1900. He ministered in Guadix to a group of people so poor they lived in caves. He built a school for the children, and provided vocation training to the adults.
His time in Guadix left a lasting impression on Pedro. There he ministered to the poorest, had a school built for the kids, and trained adults in livelihood projects. He felt that education should be a right of the poor.
All this led to his foundation in 1911, the St. Teresa of Avila Academy, now known as the Teresian Institute. His humanitarian-academic activities spanned more than 30 years.
The anti-Christian Spanish Civil War broke out. Catholics, both lay and religious, were arrested. At dawn on July 28, 1936, Pedro was captured.
The officers demanded to know who he was. Pedro said, “I am a priest of Christ.” He was shot to death by firing squad– killed for his faith and for Christian education.
Pope St. John Paul II beatified (Rome, 1993) and canonized (Spain, 2003) Pedro Poveda.