When Pope Leo XIV first arrived at the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona to celebrate Mass and dedicate the Tower of Jesus Christ, he was given an introduction to the tower by 13-year-old Valentina Sánchez, who is blind.
The young girl had the opportunity to describe to the Holy Father and the king and queen of Spain how she perceives the tower, which was completed earlier this year and is the tallest of the basilicaʼs 14 completed towers, with the help of a tactile model of the basilica.
She offered details about its structure, shapes, and volumes based on the information she gathered through her sense of touch, a demonstration that particularly moved the pope.
The National Organization of the Blind of Spain (ONCE, by its Spanish acronym), said that moments before the encounter, Valentina said she was “excited and enthusiastic but not nervous to meet one of the most important people in the world.”
Valentina suffers from a hereditary optic atrophy known as Leber’s disease, which allows her to distinguish only light and shadow. Since being diagnosed at barely a year old, she has been a member of ONCE, which has helped her with her education.
Valentina lives a short distance from the basilica and is in her first year at a neighborhood high school. Like her, more than 7,000 students with disabilities are assisted by ONCE in attending classes alongside sighted students in traditional schools. She also attends the Barcelona Educational Resource Center to supplement her education.
The young girl studies the violin and aspires to become a concert performer. Her hobbies include traveling with her family and reading in Braille. In fact, her ONCE teacher, Ramon Coma, noted that she “devours books.”
A family with ties to the Sagrada Família
The connection between Valentinaʼs family and the Sagrada Família is not just a matter of living in the same neighborhood, where construction has been ongoing for over a century. Her father, Francisco, an engineer by profession, worked at the basilica for years.
According to ONCE, Francisco shared a wish with his daughter: “It would be wonderful to see the Sagrada Família together one day, once it is finished.”
Although that moment is still some time away, this week they were able to realize part of that dream when they attended the pope’s blessing of the tower together and Valentina gave the pope a drawing she made that shows how she sees the Tower of Jesus Christ “with her heart.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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