Spain is a country largely influenced by the Catholic church. The impact of religion here may be somewhat diminished when compared to, say, fifty or a hundred years ago, but most children in Spain are still baptized in church, most brides still get married in church and most families still bury their dead in cemeteries following church rites. There’s nothing wrong with that; I am simply stating a reality, even though the trend is one of slow decline.

You may be interested to know, then, that today, November 27th, the Catholic church celebrates a total of 27 saints, amongst them persons such as San Acario de Noyón, San Basileo, Beato Bernardino de Fossa, Santa Bilhildis, Beato Bronislao Kostowski, San Eusicio, San Jacobo Interciso, San Laverio, San Leonardo and San Primitivo. The one I am most interested in is Beato Ramon Llull (Raymundus Lullus). This Mallorcan born writer, philosopher, hermit, martyr and missionary also was a Tertiary Franciscan, and the founder of a seminary college which, in turn and through the centuries, turned into the UIB University in Palma. Ramon Llull was beatified, blessed and sanctified in 1857 by Pope Pius IX.

Palma’s UIB university uses Ramon Llull as their patron figure and as such, celebrates November 27th as a special festive day in honour of the great man. As this day falls on a Sunday this year, festivities will be celebrated tomorrow, November 28th, instead. I understand that no lectures will be given tomorrow and no classes will be held either.

The photo was borrowed from the Internet, courtesy of Wikipedia.org. Thank you very much.