Gathered around the cornerstone: Fr Rodolfo Mayagoitia, LC, Francisco Garrido Patrón, Luis E. Alverde Montemayor (rector), and Enrique Vega Carriles.

May 30, 2009. Querétaro, Mexico. On May 20, in a ceremony full of enthusiasm and energy, the latest university to join the Anáhuac family has made its grand entrance: the Anáhuac University in Querétaro. Watch a video in Spanish of testimonies and view the photo gallery to catch a glimpse of the spirit of the inauguration day.

The new university is the newest in a group of 17 universities operated by the Legion of Christ worldwide. The Anáhuac Universities currently serve over 29,000 students, from bachelor’s degree programs to graduate and executive programs. They offer 44 undergraduate programs, 98 graduate programs, and over 150 extension programs worldwide, along with partnerships with over 200 universities all over the globe.

After 3 years of operation, the Querétaro Anáhuac has begun building its definitive campus. It currently has 750 students, faculty members, and administrators, with 12 academic programs for licentiate and postgraduate degrees. In addition to its emphasis on academic excellence, the university will also focus on imbuing its students with the virtues and values that will help them become positive leaders in society.

The inauguration ceremony on May 20 included the blessing and placement of the cornerstone, as well as speeches from Fr Rodolfo Mayagoitia, LC, the territorial director of the Legion of Christ in Mexico; Mr. Francisco Garrido Patrón, the governor of

	Mónica Sánchez, a student from the first graduating class of the new university, gives her testimony.

the state of Querétaro; and Mónica Sánchez, a student from the first matriculating class of the university. Mónica, a Regnum Christi member, played an important role in founding the Querétaro Anáhuac as the president of the student body from 2007-2008 and as a coordinator of Gente Nueva and Megamissions, both of which are vibrant and wide-ranging apostolates involving tens of thousands of Mexican youth.

A legacy for future generations

In addition to the speeches, the event included several activities to encourage reflection about the moment’s significance for future generations of students. The event began with the planting of new trees in the ecological reserve on campus. Meanwhile, the guests at the inauguration signed the commemorative books, writing messages for the future generations.

Various gifts were unveiled, including a large image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a cross offered by Fr Alvaro Corcuera, LC.

The students and alumni unveiled a gift of their own: a large clock sculpture to be placed on the central square of the campus. The sculpture was their own initiative: they had designed it themselves and had fundraised to have it custom made. Each student’s name will be written on the sculpture as a visual image

	A model of the new campus.

of their own participation in the ongoing foundation.

To go along with the theme of time, the ceremony also included a “time capsule” to which each member of the Anáhuac community contributed a souvenir, photo, or letter for the future generations to read. The time capsule will be opened again in 25 years.

To view photos of the inauguration ceremony and architectural models of the future campus, click here.