In a Decree signed on December 20th, 1997, the Congregation for
the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life gave
its approval to The Work of the Church by declaring it of pontifical law.
It has not been intentionally included in any of the canonical
forms of the institutes of consecrated life, but, above all, its singularity
has been recognized; certainly, with the supreme and definitive ap-
proval due to the Pope’s authority and thereby of pontifical law.
The simple and magnificent singularity of The Work of the Church
will be sufficiently clarified when in the following chapters we present the
figure of its founder Mother Trinidad, and the life and activity of her
Work of the Church as continuator of her mission in the Church. This
argument is ratified in the recognition of its purpose, as it is expressly
stated in the already mentioned Decree for pontifical approval: “its pur-
pose is to live the mystery of the Church so profoundly as to unravel the rich-
ness of this Holy Mother and, being a living testimony, by life and word, pres-
ent the Church with all her beauty before the sight of all men, so that, when
looking at her, they may see the face of God in her and fill themselves with the
abundance of her life. The Work of the Church will realize this standing be-
side the Pope and the Bishops, collaborating with the Sacred Shepherds, help-
ing them to carry out the essential mission of the Church, that is to make us
know and participate abundantly of her richness, which is, first of all, the Fa-
ther and the Holy Spirit with Christ and Mary, dwelling in her”. Without
any doubt, such purpose in a way constitutes the name and being of The
Work of the Church, in the Church and for the Church.