Lighting the Chapel for Christians

The University of St. Thomas is a Catholic university, and we are also Houston’s only Catholic university. That designation is an honor, and often a responsibility as well. I am always grateful when an opportunity comes along to act in a visible way to proclaim our authentic Catholicity. We have just such an opportunity this weekend.

Recently I read an article on the Catholic News Agency website, and discovered that this Saturday, February 24th, the Roman Colosseum will be illuminated in red light to bring attention to the persecution of Christians around the world. The article went on to explain that several other prominent churches and cathedrals will be doing the same.

I am happy to say that this Saturday night, we will show our solidarity by illuminating the Chapel of St. Basil in UST red. Through a cooperative effort between the Basilian Fathers, Facilities, and Marketing, an initiative that comes at a very small cost will shine a very big light on an important issue. We are also blessed to have faculty experts who are speaking to the media on the subject of persecution to coincide with Saturday’s event.

Please enjoy the rendering, which shows what the Chapel of St. Basil will look like in red.