"St. Josemaría was passionate about the university. He discovered the good that Education does for society, and in particular, the university Education ". This is what historian Ana Escauriza said today during the inauguration of the second edition of Founder's Week, whose goal is to bring the figure of the founder of the academic center closer to the public.

"He had the idea that one can be Full Professor and saint. He wanted the University of Navarra as a place where many young people could be well educated and then contribute with their work to the progress of society," explained the journalist and doctor in history.

Ana Escauriaza, who defined St. Josemaría Escrivá as a "normalsubject , a man of the 20th century," intervened together with Pablo Pérez, Full Professor of Contemporary History, in a colloquium moderated by Teo Peñarroja, publisher of the magazine Nuestro Tiempo, in which they discussed the figure of St. Josemaría as a university student.

About 500 people attended the meeting that kicked off Founder's Week, a week in which anniversaries such as the founding of Opus Dei (October 2), the canonization of St. Josemaría (October 6) and the homily of Campus (October 8) are commemorated. This edition also serves to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the University.

Pablo Pérez recounted how St. Josemaría Escrivá's relationship with the university began. He wanted to study architecture, but in his adolescence he discovered "that the love of God was calling him to a total submission ". And he decided to become a priest. However, while he was studying the ecclesiastical degree program his father died and he became head of the family, so he began to study law. "He was ordained a priest in 1925, finished law in 1927 and traveled to Madrid to study at doctorate. He thought about the possibility of becoming a university professor".

However, when he had been collecting documentation for three years, the Civil War came and he lost all his file. "He escaped from Madrid to Burgos and resumed his doctoral thesis there. But by then he had already decided that he was not going to be a professor because all his strength should be devoted to Opus Dei, which he had founded in 1928".

70th Anniversary Mass

On Friday, October 7, at 7 p.m. at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fair Love of the Campus there will be a meeting of the Pilgrim Virgin of Torreciudad with the Mother of Beautiful Love and the rosary will be prayed. On Saturday, October 8, at 18h. a Mass of Thanksgiving for the 70th anniversary of the University will be celebrated on the esplanade in front of the Ismael Sánchez Bella building, presided by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Ignacio Barrera. The Schools and centers will also carry out different activities to raise awareness of the figure of the University's founder among students, professors and employees and to celebrate the 70th anniversary.