A Day of Celebration

Today, June 25, the Catholic University celebrated its feast day – Our Lady, Queen of Peace. This is one of eleven campuses of the Catholic University of Honduras, founded only fourteen years ago. The local campus is only four years old and will celebrate its first graduations in two weeks.

Today’s celebration began with firecrackers early in the morning (5:45 AM) and a Mass at 8:30 AM on the grounds of the university. The bishop, Monseñor Santos, celebrated the Mass with three other priests — Fr. Roel, Fr. Efraim, and Fr. Marco Tulio, the chaplain of the university. The bishop’s homily covered a number of areas, noting the peace must include justice! At the end of Mass he introduced me to the university community and asked me to speak. What a good way to get introduced to the university.

The day’s activities then included a procession through town with the statue of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, which is a the entrance to the university. After a number of delays, the procession started with the statue on a truck, followed by an enthusiastic group of students carrying a 50 meter banner with the university’s color – blue, white, and yellow. The procession was broadcast over the diocesan radio station. I stayed with the procession until it reached the central square. (I forgot to put on suntan lotion and to bring some water!)