03 February 2007
Others
In 2007, the Company of Jesus will commemorate the anniversaries of the births of Blessed Brother Garate and Father Pedro Arrupe, two figures closely linked to the University of Deusto. In the case of Blessed Garate, he was part of the university community for more than 40 years, and Father Arrupe was Head of the Company of Jesus and Great Chancellor at the University of Deusto for 16 years.
To commemorate these anniversaries, the University of Deusto has organised a number of events. The first ones will be held this week, when the 150th anniversary of Blessed Francisco Garate?s birth is commemorated. He was born on 3 February 1857 at Errekarte farmhouse in Loiola-Azpeitia, and he died on 9 September 1929 in Bilbao. He worked at the Jesuit school in Orduña (Vizcaya) since he was 14. It was there where his vocation grew and he joined the Company of Jesus in 1874. He walked as far as the novitiate in Poyanne (Landes-France) while in exile during to the Third Carlist war. He was sent to La Guadia school (Pontevedra) as a nurse.
Twelve years later, he was sent to the recently created University of Deusto, where he worked as a doorman (in those times it involved being a receptionist, public relations, student adviser, food and clothing supplier for the poor, etc.) for forty-one years (1888-1929). He died with a reputation of extraordinary saintliness, of simplicity and poverty. He was beatified by John Paul II on 6 October 1985.
To commemorate this one-hundredth anniversary, next Saturday, 3 February, a number of events will be held in his honour. The first one will be a mass offered at 12:15 pm, in the Gothic Chapel at the University of Deusto (Bilbao), presided over by the vice-postulant for the beatification process, Dionisio Aranzadi. This will be followed by a buffet lunch at the UD bar. On the same day, in the Basilica of Loyola, and close to his birthplace house, a Solemn Mass will be held at 18:00 pm. It will presided over by the Bishop of San Sebastian, Juan María Uriarte, with the performance of Azpeitia?s Church Choir, who will sing Perosi?s mass. Then, at 19:00 pm, the opening ceremony of Errekarte restored farmhouse, Blessed Garate?s birthplace house, will be held.
On the San Sebastian Campus of the University of Deusto, a mass will also be held on Friday, 2 February at 13:00 pm at the Xabier Otoigunea, presided over by Ignacio Cacho, chairman of Ignacio de Loyola Institute at the University of Deusto.
