To the Band of Brothers: December 17, 2020
Good morning!
Okay, this is it. The last day of classes before the holiday break. Congratulations on getting to this point. I know it hasn’t been easy. We have maneuvered through some choppy waters, but, as a family, we have docked safely in Christmas harbor. Do me a favor, please be sure to take a moment and thank your teachers for an incredible job. I have seen them work hard to make sure you guys don’t skip a beat.
Hopefully, your plans for Christmas are quiet and tranquil. No chestnuts roasting on an open fire because most of us in Miami don’t have fireplaces. Unless, of course, you are going to roast them in the BBQ in your backyard. Either way, I don’t know where you get chestnuts in Miami. No Jack Frost nipping at your nose because Jack never travels to South Florida. What we get down here instead is Mr. Heat Miser and he doesn’t nip. Nonetheless, a great Christmas is expected.
A couple of things before we break:
First, I wanted to take a moment and thank Br. Mike Martínez, S.J., ‘09 for his two and a half years of service here at Belen Jesuit. He has come to the end of his regency experience and will be heading off to Brazil to study theology. This will be the last stage of his formation before being ordained a priest. Hopefully, that ordination will happen here in Miami and in our new chapel.
Br. Mike was a student of mine at Belen. From a young age, we knew there was something special about him. That has clearly remained. He has good Jesuit blood as well. His mother’s uncle was a Jesuit priest who served here in Miami for many years. Where he got his rapping talent I have no idea, but boy is he good. Belen and I will miss him greatly.
Second, please don’t forget about Jesus. It is easy to forget because we get so caught up with the dinners, parties, and presents. Don’t forget about the Lord because it is his birth we celebrate. We may not fully appreciate right now what he did for us, but, trust me, we will. He is the savior of the world, he is God made man, he is our King. Like the shepherds and Magi, have no fear to adore and worship him. Remember, you can’t spell Christmas without Christ.
It goes without saying, I am very proud of all of you guys. A special shout out to the seniors, your last semester is soon upon us. Come January, we will make the most of celebrating your last months at Belen. God bless you and your families.
Auspice Maria
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.