On April 9, 2018, the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, a pontifical university in Rome directed by the Legionaries of Christ which educates priests and seminarians, religious, and lay people from all over the world, celebrated its patronal feast on the solemnity of the Annunciation. This begins its 25th year of existence.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean of the College of Cardinals and Secretary of State Emeritus of the Pope, came to join the celebration which began with a Eucharistic concelebration in the chapel of the International College of the Legionaries of Christ.
The University Feast
The decision to make University Day coincide with the solemnity of the Annunciation underlines the link between the university’s mission and the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, the mystery of God’s overwhelming love for man.
Fr. Jesús Villagrasa, LC, Rector of the University, pointed out this link, “The University wants to train men and women who are able to bear witness to Jesus’ love; we want to form apostles of the Incarnate Word.”
He continued, “The name and the coat of arms of the university remind us of Pentecost; the Apostles, gathered around Mary, received the Holy Spirit to bring the fire of divine love to the last corner of the earth.”
Then Fr. Jesús explained the past, present and future of Regina Apostolorum, “With this celebration, we begin the jubilee of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of our University. In our heart we find, [1] looking to the past, a fervent thanksgiving to God and to all the people who have done everything with so much love to make this possible; [2] looking to the future, a firm hope in divine assistance because, as we celebrated yesterday, his mercy is great; [3] and looking at the present, seeing around the altar this community of brothers, we feel more a university, which wants to speak truth in charity: veritatem facientes in caritate. The first truth we want to recognize is our condition of sinners.”
Cardinal Angelo Sodano’s Message
Cardinal Angelo Sodano sent his greetings and best wishes: “I gladly join you in this circumstance, even more so since I had already participated in the first decade of foundation of your University in 2003, where I gave the inaugural lecture of the Academic Year 2003-2004.”
He continued, “In these 25 years of the university’s life a great path has been laid and we really have the duty to give thanks to God for its great development… So I have nothing left to invite you to but to continue on your journey, collaborating with all the ecclesiastical universities of Rome, at the service of the Holy Church. On this anniversary of your foundation, I would like to express my wish that I already addressed you in 2003, which is that your Pontifical Athenaeum will continue to grow and love ever more the Holy Church of Christ and its saving doctrine for the men of every time.”
Card. Sodono then spoke of the Church, “Often we speak, and rightly, of a Church that is always reforming, but we must also ensure that the Church is always loving, like the Mother who has generated us in the supernatural life and who always enlightens us with the words of Christ’s Gospel. She nourishes with her sacraments and guides us with her shepherds. Therefore, it is right that all the love of her children should go to this mother.”
Originally posted in Italian and available here.
Select translate subtitles to English in the video below.
