The town of A Cañiza commemorates today, October 15th, the day of its Patron Saint, Teresa of Jesus. The main events will begin at 12:00 PM with a Solemn Mass to be held in the Parish Church. The ceremony will be presided over by the parish priest, don José Manuel Pereira Vidal, and will feature the participation of the Coral Polifónica da Caniza.
Following the religious celebration, a procession will take place, winding through the town's streets. The image of the Saint will be accompanied by the bagpipe group «Os Folieiros», from Lavadores. This commemoration has been declared a local holiday, and Mayor Luis Piña has extended his congratulations to all the residents.
A Cañiza's connection with Teresa of Jesus dates back to February 25th, 1815, when the bishop of Tui, don Juan García Benito, decreed the creation of the Parish of A Cañiza, designating Teresa of Jesus as its titular saint and Patroness. Since then, her figure has played a significant role in the religious life and collective memory of the town.
The current Parish Church, whose construction began in 1856, was completed in 1902 with the finishing of the bell tower, the work of master stonemason don Xosé Martínez Cabrita. The church houses two relics of Teresa of Jesus, transferred from the Convent of San José de Ávila on January 12th, 1979, by don Manuel Salcidos González, who was the parish priest of A Cañiza at the time.
These relics include a piece of wood from the trunk that the Saint used as a pillow and a fragment of cloth related to the exhumation of her body at the convent of Alba de Tormes. The devotion in the town also includes the visit of the relic of the Holy Arm of Teresa of Jesus on June 10th, 1963, an event recorded in the Minutes Book of the Permanent Municipal Commission.
More recently, in 2014, on the occasion of the Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis, the bishop of the Diocese of Tui-Vigo, don Luís Quinteiro Fiuza, granted the Parish Church of A Cañiza the title of Jubilee Church, recognizing its historical and spiritual importance.
The Council of A Cañiza wishes to recall, with this summary, the importance of its Patron Saint in the history of the municipality and congratulates all the residents of A Cañiza on this day.
