Christopher Columbus arrived in Honduras on July 30, 1502, in his fourth and last trip to America. He landed on Guanaja Island, which he called the Island of Pines, as it had great pine forests. Going inland, this expedition arrived in Punta de Caxinas (today Punta de Castilla) on Aug. 14, while Columbus´ brother, Bartholomew Columbus, landed in Trujillo, where the first Mass was celebrated.
In a message for the occasion, the bishops´ conference invites the universal Church to participate in the celebrations, which will involve the dioceses, parishes and Catholic communities, to «remember the origins of our being Christians.»
