Archbishop of Toledo celebrates Mass for Our Lady of the Prado in Talavera

Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo presided at a solemn Mass on September 13 in Talavera de la Reina, in the province of Toledo in central Spain. The Mass marked the liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Prado, patroness of the city. He was joined by the vicar general of the archdiocese, Raúl Muelas, the rector of the basilica, Felipe García, and a large group of priests, along with civil and military authorities. Thousands of the faithful attended.

In his homily, Cerro congratulated the rector on the renovation work recently completed at the basilica. He also spoke of the two jubilees the diocesan Church is marking in the 2026/2027 pastoral year: the Guadalupe jubilee and the eighth centenary of the primatial cathedral in Toledo. In the cathedral, he said, lie "the most ancient roots" of the particular Church.

Three aspects of Marian devotion

Cerro built his homily around three aspects of devotion to Our Lady of the Prado. He first called her "the Virgin of Joy," saying that "for every man and woman of Talavera, Our Lady of the Prado is the joy of my joys." From there he said that "Christianity is a call to joy (...) it is not about remaining in the pessimism of what is wrong," and told those present that "either Christianity produces joy or it is not Christianity."

Second, Cerro presented Holy Mary of the Prado as "the Virgin of Do Not Be Afraid." The Mother of God, he said, teaches people to overcome their fears "by going through them, by facing them," and he urged the faithful "to live reality with the sentiments of the Heart of Christ."

Finally, Cerro invited those present to believe "in the God of the impossible," following the example of Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Prado, in the certainty that "for those who love God, everything works for their good."