May 28, 2026 : On June 9, as part of his apostolic journey to Spain, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit Barcelona. There, he will inaugurate the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Basílica de la Sagrada Família and celebrate a Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of its first architect and designer, Antoni Gaudí.
Born in 1852, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet accepted the task of directing the project of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 1883. His focus was making art a hymn of praise to the Lord and he considered it his mission to make God known and bring people closer to Him.
On June 7, 1926, he was struck by a tram. Not recognized, he was taken to the Hospital de la Santa Creu, the city’s hospital for the poor. After receiving the last sacraments, he died three days later, on June 10. Around 30,000 people attended his funeral.
Gaudíʼs example has earned him praise from Catholic leaders, including Pope Benedict XVI. During his 2010 apostolic journey to Spain, when he consecrated Sagrada Família, he described Gaudí as “a brilliant architect and devout Christian, whose faith burned brightly.”
Pope Francis proclaimed Gaudi venerable in 2025.
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