Pope Francis’ legacy is about to get even bigger.
Argentinean soccer club San Lorenzo is set to name its new stadium after Pope Francis, according to The Huffington Post. The stadium, which will be home to the pope’s favorite soccer team, will be built on land that was in dispute during the military dictatorship that controlled the country from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, Huffington Post reported.
But what other places across the world and United States have a religious figure to thank for their name or creation?
Here are 15 places that were named after religious figures.
Christchurch
Christchurch is a city in New Zealand, and it gets its name from one of the most prominent religious leaders — Jesus Christ. Founded more than 1,000 years ago, the city was named by settlers of Canterbury who wanted to honor the Son of God.
Calvin College
Calvin College is a small, Christian liberal arts college in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that was named after John Calvin, a theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation.
Martin Luther King Building
Martin Luther King Jr. is commonly known for his civil rights expertise and impact. But that’s only a piece of why he’s got the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Building in Washington, D.C., named after him. King was also a pastor of a Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama, leading the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church on many occasions. His preaching ability gave him strength to speak out with civil rights activists and lead the charge for civil rights.
Oral Roberts University
Evangelist Oral Roberts was a radio and television personality who made a lasting impression on society, leading to the creation of Oral Roberts University. According to Biography, Roberts founded ORU, an interdenominational Christian liberal arts university, and served as its chancellor.
Thomas Aquinas College
This Italian priest and friar was powerful enough in his influence to get his name lifted to the top of Thomas Aquinas College in California. Aquinas was also a big influence in the Roman Catholic community and a big proponent of faithful values, according to Biography.
Fuller Theological Seminary
Radio evangelist Charles Fuller was famous for his many broadcasts, including “The Old Fashioned Revival Hour.” But, according to the Fuller Theological Seminary’s history page, Fuller wanted to spread his ideas, thoughts and beliefs farther than he could through the radio. Thus, he started the Fuller Theological Seminary, which is still accepting students today.
Emerson College
Charles Wesley Emerson was the founding president of Emerson College, and he’s got a religious background as well. Emerson was a preacher for the Unitarian Church, which was an early version of the Universalist Church of America and Unitarian Universalist Association, according to Harvard University.
Jonathan Edwards College
Yale University has Jonathan Edwards College, which is named after the Christian philosopher and preacher from the 1700s. The Jonathan Edwards College is the oldest residential college at Yale, and is still open today.
George Fox University
This university was named after George Fox, who was a leader of the Christian awakening back in the 1600s, according to the school’s website. His work for the Quaker movement in the early part of American history led to university officials using his name to brand their school and associate the university with the Quaker religion.
Willard Clement Family Center
According to the Courier Press, Pastor William Clement celebrated turning 79 with a different kind of birthday gift — a building dedication. The Connecticut native was given this honor because of his spirituality and his work founding the New Haven Pentecostal Church.
Some of Clement’s neighbors, friends and family spoke to the Courier Press about him, and praised him for his religious knowledge.
"He's just an incredibly spiritual person," said Phil Wagoner, an assistant pastor at the New Heaven Church.
Eddie Payne III Street
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a local pastor was given the honor of having a street named after him for his many years of service, according to the Advocate. It was earlier this month that the West Baton Rouge Parish Council voted to name a small street after Payne, mostly due to his work with disadvantaged kids, the Advocate reported.
Anderson House
According to the Dallas Morning News, a house at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary was named after Rev. John F and Nancy Anderson's continued success pastoring the First Presbyterian Dallas church. In the 1980s, Anderson also helped unite different sectors, northern and southern branches, of the Presbyterian Church, which solidified his legacy, the Morning News reported.
Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education
The Dalai Lama Center is located in Vancouver, Canada, and is looking to spread peace and education to kids in the area. Named after the leader of the Buddhist religion, the center has been looking to spread its influence across the world and teach values of respect and peace to children, according to the center’s website.
Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School
Pope Francis isn’t the only one to get something named after him. Take Pope John Paul II for instance, who has a number of buildings named after him across the world, including colleges and high schools. One of those is the Saint John Paul Catholic High School in Dumfries, Virginia, which serves more than 1,000 students. Students who graduate from the school have gone onto Catholic schools, Ivy League colleges and military academies, among other places, according to the school’s website.
Westin St. Francis
This hotel got its named from Saint Francis, a name for many Catholic saints. The Westin St. Francis is a luxury hotel in the center of downtown San Francisco and still boasts its authentic, older exterior. The hotel often hosts a slew of different events from the arts to social gatherings, bringing in a wealth of people from across the world, according to the hotel’s website.
Email: hscribner@deseretdigital.com
Twitter: @herbscribner
