MADRID, Spain.
On June 23, the Dominam Commendatariam medal of the Order of St. Gregory the Great was awarded to Mª Encarnación González. This is a papal recognition, "a special honor given to men and women in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See and the Roman Catholic Church." María Encarnación González Rodríguez has received this distinction in recognition of her twelve years of service as Director of the Office for the Causes of the Saints of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
The Pope’s representative in Spain, Msgr. Renzo Fratini, gave her this award. Cardinal Ricardo Blazquez, President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference; the Archbishop of Madrid, Msgr. Osoro, Vice President; and José María Gil Tamayo, Secretary General, participated in the event. Also the military Archbishop, Msgr. Juan del Rio, and the President of the Teresian Association, Ms. Maite Uribe, attended the event.
The Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great is one of the highest distinctions granted by the Pope. It was created in 1831 by Pope Gregory XVI to honor the memory of Pope Gregory the Great
María Encarnación González was born in Burgos. She received her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Letters, majoring in History, from the University of Valladolid and her Ph.D. in Modern and Contemporary History from the University of Barcelona. She has taught Geography and History at "Egara" Institute in Sabadell-Terrassa. Her dissertation: Education and Society in the Spain of Alfonzo XIII (1902-1931) was published by the Spanish University Foundation in 1986. She also received a degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of Madrid, "Comillas." She specialized in the study of Secular Institutes, Associations of the Faithful, and the Causes of Saints.
A member of the Teresian Association (TA), she has organized and directed the Historical Archives of the TA and created the "Pedro Poveda" Chair of TA History. She has facilitated numerous courses, meetings and conferences and the Cause for the canonization of St. Pedro Poveda, Founder of the TA; and the Cause of the Venerable Servant of God Josefa Segovia, first TA President.
She has been Postulator General of the Teresian Association since 1996 and, from 2001, she has been the first Director of the Office for the Causes of Saints of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. Since 2007, she acted as Postulator of the Cause of the Doctorate of Saint John of Avila.
She has authored numerous publications: books, pamphlets and articles (either alone or in collaboration with others). The Library of Christian Authors (BAC) has published some of her works: Critical Edition of Jesus Master of Prayer, by Pedro Poveda; Passion for Holiness, Biography of Maria Josefa Segovia; Saint Pedro Poveda in the Genesis of the Teresian Association; Saint Juan de Avila, Doctor of the Universal Church. The Spanish Episcopal Conference (EDICE) has published her following writings: Approach and Methods for the Causes of Saints; How to start a Cause of Canonization; Speaking of Martyrdom and Holiness Today; Christian Martyrdom; Testimony and Prophecy; Regulations and Guidelines for the Causes of Saints; Who They Are and where They Come from; 498 Martyrs of the Twentieth Century in Spain; The first 479 Saints and Blessed Martyrs of the Twentieth Century in Spain; Beatification of 498 Martyrs of the Twentieth Century in Spain; Life in the Spirit; Being Holy because of the Practice of Heroic Virtue; The Saints Evangelize.
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