José Trinidad Reyes

Father José Trinidad Reyes y Sevilla (born June 11,1797 – September 20, 1855) was a Honduran priest who founded the National Autonomous University of Honduras, formerly called "" ('The Society of the Enterprising Genius and Good Taste'). He advocated against poverty by assisting the poor and supporting their right to education on matters of faith, culture, and science.

He wrote several theatrical pastorelas. These works established a base for the subsequent appearance of theatre in Honduras. Father Reyes presented these pastorelas in Tegucigalpa's churches. One song he wrote was "" ('Our Christmas'), which over time, has turned into a classic of Honduran contemporary theater due to its harmonious mixing of different traditions that take place during Christmas in Honduras.

Reyes was a polemicist in favor of women's rights. His stance is reflected in his pastorelas, which feature strong female characters in many of his works. His most celebrated document, a feminist manifesto, appeared under the pseudonym of Sofía Seyers. In it, Reyes pleads for women to be given the right to basic education. Many ideas expressed by Reyes in this article were inspired by the ideas of the women of the French Revolution. Reyes was influenced by ideas from The Enlightenment, Humanism and Religious Art.

Reyes was convinced of the importance of the arts, especially theater, as an instrument to civilize and bring progress to nations. During his life in Tegucigalpa he fought against political fanaticism and religious superstition. Provided by Wikipedia