University student

Brotherhood of the Holy Christ of the University (University), Our Lady of the Presentation and Saint Thomas Aquinas.

History

Confraternity founded in 1989 by a group of students, mostly Law students and former Marist alumni of Cervantes School. The canonical seat chosen was the Church of San Pedro de Alcántara, next to the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. In this church, the titular image of Our Lady of the Presentation, created by Miguel Ángel González Jurado, was blessed in June 1990.

In 2007, its first processional outing took place, carried on shoulders, and in 2008, the second one, carried by costaleros. That same year, the General Assembly decided to commission the image of the Holy Christ to Juan Manuel Miñarro López, associate professor of Sculpture at the University of Seville, due to his knowledge and experience in studying the Man of the Shroud. In March 2010, the image of the Holy Christ of the University was blessed in the Church of San Pedro de Alcántara.

In 2012, the brotherhood moved to the Church of the Oath of Saint Raphael and also began to process on Holy Tuesday.

Temple

Church of the Oath of Saint Raphael. Located in the popular neighborhood of San Lorenzo, it is dedicated to the Archangel Saint Raphael, patron of the city.

The Titular Images

Holy Christ of the University

The image of the Holy Christ of the University is a wooden sculpture by the Sevillian sculptor Juan Manuel Miñarro. It is a “Sindonic Christ,” which exactly reproduces the wounds shown on the Shroud of Turin. A detailed study was carried out to achieve the most realistic image possible; in fact, the sculpture has the appearance of someone who died about an hour before, with a swollen abdomen. One can observe sand embedded (brought from the Holy Land) in the wounds on the knees, a result of the three falls Jesus suffered on the way to Calvary.

The nails are driven through the wrists, as is believed the Romans did in crucifixions. As a result, the thumbs are bent towards the palms; the blood flowing from the wounds is both pre- and post-mortem. On the scourging wounds, the marks from the metal balls at the ends of the whips can be seen. The traditional sign above the cross is written in Latin, Greek, and Aramaic and contains spelling mistakes. It was a mocking gesture, proclaiming his status as king of the Jews. It was likely written by illiterate people — soldiers — which makes it highly probable that it contained errors, as reflected in this image.

Our Lady of the Presentation

The Virgin of the Presentation is a work by the Cordoban sculptor Miguel Ángel González Jurado, created around 1990.

Nazarene Habit

Black sackcloth tunic inspired by the habit of Saint Peter of Alcántara, tied with a white cord; over the shoulders, a shoulder cape made of the same. The head is covered with a black chintz face-covering and a hood of black sackcloth. Feet are shod with black esparto grass sandals.

Notable Insignias

• Brotherhood standard, embroidered in fine gold and designed by Francisco Pérez Artés.