Memorial and Tribute to the Founder.

Along with the SVD priests, the faculty, staff and students paid tribute to HNU founder,  Fr. Alphonse G. Lesage as a significant part of the long week  University Days affair.

HNU President, Fr. Francisco Estepa together with the SVD priests led the tribute with a simple ceremony that recalls the life and many other priests’ endeavor for HNU.

Holy Name University (HNU) was then Divine Word College (DWC) when it was opened for the education of Bol-anons.

It was on December 1946 when the idea of opening a Catholic school in Bohol was broached by the Most Rev. Julio D. Rosales who wanted an institution of higher learning providing quality education and instilling Catholic Christian principles. This lofty idea was the inspiration of a man who became the first Catholic Bishop of Tagbilaran.

Bishop Rosales set about on a mission to find a religious congregation to realize the dream of a Catholic school. He found the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). SVD missionaries were already active in their calling in Bohol and had already established the Tubigon Catholic High School (now Holy Cross Academy). Fr. Alphonse Lesage, SVD was director of the school.
Monsignor Rosales approached the SVD fathers with his vision. The SVD fathers agreed and negotiations got started; plans were made and finalized: A Catholic school was born. Fr. Lesage was to become the first director of the first Catholic college in Bohol right in the heart of Tagbilaran.

Holy Name College was formally inaugurated on July 14, 1947. The school opened with 919 student (613 were in high school and 306 in college).