• The sculpture, created by Navarran artist Diana García Roy, has been placed in the recently restored Chapel of Saint Joachim.
• The ceremony was presided over by the Archbishop of Zaragoza, Monsignor Carlos Escribano Subías.
• The enthronement is one of the central events of the Centenary of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Angels (1925–2025).

Yesterday, December 18, at 4:30 p.m., the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar hosted the blessing and enthronement ceremony for the sculpture of Saint Genoveva Torres Morales, founder of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Angels, known as the Angelic Sisters.

The ceremony was presided over by Monsignor Carlos Escribano Subías, Archbishop of Zaragoza, and took place in the Chapel of San Joaquín, also known as the Chapel of Confession, which has recently been restored and is now open to the public.

A solemn ecclesiastical ceremony in the heart of El Pilar

The ceremony was attended by civil authorities, members of the Metropolitan Council of the Basilica del Pilar, the artist who created the work, Diana García Roy, as well as numerous Angelic nuns from different houses in Spain, who wanted to accompany this historic moment for the Congregation.

In his homily, the Archbishop of Zaragoza pointed out that “we cannot understand these hundred years without looking at the face” of the founder of the congregation, since “her life teaches us that God does not seek perfect instruments, but willing hearts.” “From her own physical frailty and the loneliness of her youth, she did not shut herself up in pain, but turned it into a bridge to others,” recalled the archbishop.

Regarding that first group of nuns, she noted that “she understood that the world is healed by ‘repairing,’ and her first form of repair was to give her own life through the evangelical counsels.” In this sense, Saint Genevieve “not only gave them a habit, but a way of life. She taught them that vows are not a burden, but wings to fly to those in need.”

The new sculpture is on permanent display for prayer and veneration by the faithful inside the basilica. The body of Saint Genoveva Torres Morales, however, remains in her chapel at the General House of the Congregation, located at Plaza del Pilar, 22, a few meters from the temple.

The enthronement of this image represents ecclesiastical and spiritual recognition of Saint Genevieve, who is deeply linked to Zaragoza and the history of the Congregation.

“Back to our roots to embrace the future”

As part of the centenary celebrations, Mother Enedina Fernández Bueno, Superior General of the Institute, also gave a talk entitled “Grateful memory. Returning to our roots to embrace the future.”

During her speech, Mother Enedina gave an emotional account of the origins of the Congregation, paying special tribute to the 19 nuns who took their vows alongside Saint Genoveva Torres. Starting with the historical context of 1925, she compared that world with the current reality and emphasized the continuing relevance of the founding charism.

“As Angelic Sisters, we must continue to respond to people who live in solitude,” she said, recalling that this was the core of the mission entrusted to her by the founder.

The Superior General encouraged the sisters to renew their commitment with hope and fidelity: “We Angelics must continue to be faithful to this charism with enthusiasm and renewed spirit,” she said, emphasizing that “even though we may be growing older, the Angelic family is growing thanks to the participation of the laity, with whom the charism continues to be kept alive.”

A legacy that lives on

With the blessing and enthronement of this sculpture in the Basilica del Pilar, the Congregation of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Holy Angels culminates one of the most significant moments in the celebration of its first centenary, leaving a visible legacy of faith, memory, and commitment to the most vulnerable in one of the most important Marian shrines in the world.