President of the School

When you belong to something as old and weathered as a school like Belen Jesuit, there is a multitude of events throughout its history that warrant celebration. From its humble beginnings in 1854 to various extraordinary milestone events and individuals spattered generously throughout its time, Belen Jesuit has not only survived the test of time, but has thrived. This year we celebrate one of those milestone events, 100 years of the Alumni Association. We celebrate 100 years since the day one of our most prestigious and glorious alumni, Dr. Antonio Sánchez de Bustamante y Sirvén ‘1880, answered the call of his alma mater to create an association of alumni whose very lives were forever changed, for the better, because they received a Jesuit education.

The purpose of this association was not simply an attempt to create a sort of social club that occasionally gathered Belen alumni. The purpose was to organize a network of individuals who could significantly impact the community they lived in and bring about the kind of religious, political, and social change necessary to make the world and their community a better, more just place. Because of the values intrinsic to a Jesuit education and imparted to each of its students, Belen alumni share a common vision that their formation is not simply intended for their own personal gain, but intended especially for the benefit of those most in need.

In 1961, when Fr. Juan Manuel Dorta-Duque, S.J. ’40 was missioned to Miami to reignite the fires of the alumni association in exile, the task was not only reaffirmed, but also took on a new meaning. First, Fr. Dorta-Duque, S.J. quickly recognized this association could not simply embrace graduates of el Colegio de Belén, but also had to include all alumni of the Jesuit schools in Cuba, as well as the new batches of graduates from Miami who would sustain the legacy of our great alma mater. What motivated then Jesuit provincial Fr. Daniel Baldor, S.J. ’19 to task Fr. Dorta-Duque, S.J. with this undertaking was a desire to truly minister to those who needed the support of the Jesuits as they settled into the harsh new reality of life outside of Cuba. Before the time of computers, social media, and the internet, the new alumni director started tracking down alumni and gathered their information on small index cards, thus amassing a great database of information.

The Alumni Office was not alone in taking on the task. Various alumni and their families volunteered their time and treasure to help the young Jesuit priest contact alumni around the world. It was truly a labor of love that encouraged and motivated these men who were now struggling to make ends meet and start anew, reminding them that Belen and the Jesuit education they had received in the “pearl of the Antilles” was not finished, but was only beginning. It was through the efforts of these individuals and the association that united them that Belen Jesuit was able to not only survive, but thrive in Miami.

Today, we are the beneficiaries of such giant efforts. We stand on their shoulders and are able to see farther than ever before. It is a testament to living out the motto of being “men for others” and fulfilling a mandate given by Jesus Christ to his disciples, “docente omnes gentes,” “Go and teach all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). A mandate whose very words were chiseled into the façade of the Palace of Education.

This edition of the Belen Jesuit Alumni Magazine is dedicated to all those men and women who made these 100 years of service possible. They are the ones who kept the tradition alive by reminding us always that what was learned in the hallways, classrooms, playing fields, and chapels of our campuses in Havana, Santiago, Cienfuegos, Sagua, and Miami are not limited to a particular city or region, but ingrained in the hearts of the men who were blessed to be on them. This is truly the reason the tradition remains very much alive and well.

Our present task is to confidently walk the beautiful and exciting line between our past and future. We have a responsibility to ensure we do not forget where we came from while remaining focused on where we need to go. Rooted squarely in our Catholic faith and anchored firmly in the values of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we forge ahead in new and innovative ways to educate the future leaders of Miami and the world. This is no small or easy task, but it is one that Dr. Sánchez de Bustamante y Sirvén, Fr. Dorta-Duque, and so many others expect and we will provide. Belen Jesuit has always risen to the challenge and will continue to do so as we continue to fly high the banner of our great alma mater.

Throughout this year, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School and the Alumni Association of Jesuit Schools of Cuba and Miami will host various events to celebrate our Association’s centennial. There is so much to be grateful for, and it behooves us to take full advantage of such a great milestone. Let there be no mistake, our commitment to the formation of young men in the extraordinary pedagogical tradition of the Society of Jesus is as firm today as it was in 1854, when that handful of Spanish Jesuit priests and brothers made their way through the city streets of Havana, Cuba. On that day, 169 years ago, a great force was unleashed that found greater support in 1923 with the official founding of the Alumni Association. That force is alive and well today.

Auspice Maria, Fr. Willie ‘87