TRUJILLO, Honduras - Roman Catholic faithful celebrated a Mass on a Honduran beach Wednesday to mark the first Mass on the mainland of the Americas 500 years ago.
The Mass was celebrated by the archbishop of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, Cardinal Nicolas Lopez. Also present were Honduran President Ricardo Maduro, Salvadoran President Francisco Flores, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez, and 60 bishops from the United States, Canada, Panama, Spain and Peru.
The Mass was transmitted to more than 70 million people on two Catholic television channels, one based in Rome and the other in Miami, and Radio Vatican.
"This Mass constitutes a new evangelization in America," Rodriguez said.
The first Mass was celebrated on the mainland of the Americas in 1502 during the fourth and last trip by Christopher Columbus. The town of Trujillo was founded May 18, 1525.
The Mass was organized by the Honduran government and the church in an effort to "rescue and revitalize history, reaffirm the identity of Hondurans and recover the missionary dimension of Catholics in the country," priest German Calix said.
The first Mass celebrated in the Americas was Jan. 6, 1494, in the Dominican Republic.