★★★★★ 5.0
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Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
Forty-one students walked through these doors on October 15, 1984... and not a single one of them knew they were making history. This wasn't just another Roman university opening that autumn day. This was the fulfillment of a dream that had burned in the heart of a Spanish priest for decades, a vision so powerful that it survived his death and came to life in Palazzo Sant'Apollinare, where you stand now. Saint Josemaría Escrivá had imagined this exact moment back in 1946, when he first arrived in Rome and fell so deeply in love with the Eternal City that he wrote in his diary, "Rome, for me, is Peter." But he never lived to see it. It was his successor, Blessed Álvaro del Portillo, who finally opened these heavy Renaissance doors, celebrating that first Mass to the Holy Spirit with just those forty-one brave souls. Within fourteen years, those students multiplied into over a thousand, and Pope John Paul II himself elevated this little academic center to a full Pontifical University. Here's what visitors never realize: the library around the corner on Via dei Farnesi now guards 209,000 volumes of theological wisdom, and over seventy graduates have become bishops... one of them serving right now in Sydney. From four students to shepherds of souls across the globe.
Did You Know?
- The Pontifical University of the Holy Cross was founded in 1984 by Opus Dei and was officially recognized as a pontifical university by Pope John Paul II in 1998, marking a significant milestone in its development towards becoming one of Rome's leading ecclesiastical institutions.
- The university is located in the heart of Rome, with its main campus situated near Piazza Navona in the historic Sant'Apollinare area, and its library is housed in Via dei Farnesi, offering a rich cultural and educational environment.
- The university has produced over 70 graduates who have become bishops, highlighting its importance in the formation of Catholic clergy and its role in the global mission of the Church.