VENERABLE ANTONI GAUDI | KAIROS GLOBAL | AUGUST 2026

Author: Maria Teres

Audio:https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tuunqj7NQH9pgXmQ7PTtf

Not Unfinished, A Work in Progress…

On 20 February 2026, the Basilica of the Sagrada Família earned the title of being the tallest church in the world, with the completion of the Tower of Jesus Christ's cross. As Pope Leo XIV blessed the installation, he pointed out that it wasn’t the ‘worldly rankings’ that mattered; rather, the attention it receives ought to guide our pilgrimage ‘as we await the return of the Bridegroom’. The Basilica has been under construction for over 140 years, and is still incomplete, a symbolism that the Pope equates to the formation of the ‘holy person’ in each of us. The building, Pope Leo XIV says, is ‘a work in progress today, reminding us that the Christian life is always a journey, a project that God is carrying out’. 

This resonates with, or even originates from,

the thoughts of the Basilica’s most remembered architect, Venerable Antoni Gaudí, who is often quoted as remarking that his client, i.e., God, ‘is not in a hurry’ to finish the work He started. Gaudí joined the work in 1882, one year after the first stone was laid, and eventually dedicated his life to the cause. Pope Benedict XVI, while consecrating the church in 2010 (despite its unfinished status), called him the ‘soul and the artisan of this project,’ and exhorted his listeners to learn from Gaudí’s conviction that ‘God’s plan would carry the work to completion’. 

The Holy Architect

Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was born in Reus, Spain, in 1852. He received early formation in Catholic schooling, and obtained his architect title in 1878 from Barcelona. From the beginning of his career, Christian spirituality became the root of his work. His day job was in itself a form of worship-shaped expression – work that grows out of prayer, sacramental life, and a deliberate attempt to lead others towards Christ. His sole surviving writing, the Manuscript of Reus, is an apt proof of this growing spiritual fervour, with clear indications of his fidelity to the mysteries of the Christian faith. 

But the turning point was indeed the involvement in Sagrada Família, starting in 1882 and stretching on till his last breath. To him, this was not just everyday work, but a way of expressing his faith and spirituality. His spirituality too was not a shallow exercise but a deep-rooted monastic pattern centred on prayer and penance, with rigorous fasts. 

His ascetic ways were indeed too intense; during Lent in 1894, he was struck by a serious illness because of rigorous fasting. Though it endangered his life, it is described as a profound spiritual experience in his search for God. After overcoming that crisis, he continued architectural work, while his interior journey increasingly turned toward prayer, Bible reading, and liturgical life. As he grew older, he withdrew inward and focused on continuing the Sagrada Família rather than taking new commissions.

On 7 June 1926, Gaudí was struck by a tram in Barcelona and was taken to the Hospital of the Holy Cross for the poor. After receiving spiritual aid and the last sacraments, he died on 10 June. His last words are reported as: ‘My God, my God!’

Temples Still Under Construction

Antoni Gaudí, this deeply spiritual man who envisioned and spearheaded this century-long dream project, wanted the Basilica to be a reflective and deeply symbolic place of worship rather than a visual spectacle. Pope Benedict points out that Gaudí wanted to unite three ‘books’ that fed him as a man, believer, and architect – the book of nature, the book of Sacred Scripture, and the book of the liturgy. Gaudí incorporated stones, trees, and human life into the church so that creation might converge in praise of God. Benedict XVI points out how Gaudí ‘brought the sacred images outside’ (referring to the statues relating to the Nativity, Passion, and the Final Judgement outside the Basilica), placing the mystery of God revealed in Christ’s life – specifically the ‘birth, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ’ –for the world to see. 

Showing us the example of this exemplary life, Pope Leo XIV reminds us ‘this is how the artist transforms talent into praise and creativity into a testimony to the Creator himself.’ Isn’t this a call to all of us to turn our workplaces into places of worship? To not view our small steps as insignificant or unfinished work, but as a God-given mission to contribute our alms to the Lord’s Kingdom?

Maria Teres is a social worker by education and writer by passion and profession. In her spare time, you may find her curled up on a couch crocheting, reading, or sketching.