Tenerife Nuns Handcraft Hosts and Textiles for Upcoming Papal Visit

A papal visit involves much more than security and traffic plans; it requires a level of craftsmanship that is rarely seen by the public but is vital for the liturgy. Recently, the Monastery of Santa Clara in La Laguna has become the hub for preparing the materials needed for the Pope’s upcoming mass in Tenerife on June 12, blending technical skill with a long tradition of quiet devotion.

The Diocese of Tenerife has tasked the religious community with producing 40,000 communion hosts. Rather than using industrial methods, the sisters are making them by hand, baking a simple mixture of flour and water. Each host is carefully inspected to ensure it meets quality standards before being packaged. For this event, they are using a four-centimeter diameter—slightly larger than usual—to make distributing communion easier for the large crowds expected.

In addition to the hosts, the convent is creating the textiles that will decorate the altar and the city. The sisters are crafting a traditional linen tablecloth and a white brocade tapestry featuring gold trim and the papal coat of arms, which will hang from the Bishop’s balcony during the Pope’s visit.

Led by Mother Abbess Sor Pilar Climent and sisters like Sor Belén Prieto, this work continues the Poor Clares' long history of supplying liturgical materials to parishes across the islands. For the sisters, this work is an extension of their monastic life, where creating items for worship is a form of prayer. In an age often defined by technology and speed, the monastery highlights the value of patience and silence, ensuring that every stitch and every host carries a deep, spiritual significance.