The Lay Centre community celebrated with joy in the second academic semester as two alumnae, both recipients of our Leadership Scholars Program scholarships, successfully defended their doctoral dissertations—one at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) and the other at the Pontifical Gregorian University.
In June, María Teresa de Ávila Fuentes, known as “Tere,” completed her doctoral studies after publicly presenting her thesis, titled “The Transformative Power of Charity: A Comprehensive Study through the Prism of Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity,” at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Angelicum.
Her research explores how Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity—particularly through their lay volunteers—embody the vision of the papal encyclical Caritas in Veritate by Pope Benedict XVI. Tere’s dissertation develops the idea of charity as a force for social transformation. It demonstrates how charity, inseparable from justice, can shape the public sphere and renew both individuals and communities.
She was a Lay Centre Leadership Scholar and a member of the community during the academic years 2023–2025. The Lay Centre community joined in celebration, honoring her achievement with deep admiration.
Church History and the Media
Mirticeli Dias de Medeiros completed her doctoral studies in May 2025 at the Faculty of History and Cultural Heritage of the Pontifical Gregorian University. Her dissertation, titled “The History of the Ancient Church in Brazilian Media Coverage: Constructions on Poverty and Martyrdom,” examines how media narratives in Brazil portray key themes of early Church history.
Beyond her academic work, Mirticeli continues to serve the Church and the world through her work as a journalist specializing in Vatican affairs and as a member of the communications office at the Institute of Anthropology (IADC) in Rome.
The Lay Centre community proudly gathered with her—along with friends—for a festive dinner to mark this important milestone in her academic and professional journey.
Mirticeli’s and Tere’s achievements exemplify The Lay Centre’s mission: to support lay women and men who bring intellectual and spiritual depth to their fields and to the life of the wider Church.
