To the Band of Brothers: December 9, 2020
Good morning!
I thought I would give you guys an update on the construction of the Our Lady of Belen Chapel. I don’t know if you were able to see the video Fr. Christian and I did a week ago highlighting some of the main components of the new space. Either way, let me fill you in.
The shell or outside component of the structure is almost complete. There is still some of the front or facade of the building that they’re working on, especially the rose window and the choir loft on the inside. Soon they will complete the metal deck that spans the roof of the building and then pour a lightweight concrete on top. The roofers will then seal it all up and they can then move on the interior.
After that, they will begin to work on the air conditioning and electrical ducts, install the windows, and the drywall. While this is going on, they will also be plastering the outside walls to give it a smooth and even finish before eventually painting.
The sacristy is on a different timeline. Since it is a smaller building, they’ve been able to advance more. That part is already dried in and the air conditioning and electrical ducts along with the windows are in place. Next will be the carpenters for all the cabinetwork and the wooden floors.
A quick note about the artwork. One of the most beautiful aspects of our faith is how our Church expresses itself with art. The paintings of the saints that will line the interior of the chapel are almost complete. The artist in Spain will be sending them soon. The statues of Jesus and St. Francis Xavier will be in transit to Miami in a week. The image of Our Lady of Belen has been here for a year (she is safely stored away in the Saladrigas Gallery).
Other pieces like the tabernacle, the image of the Holy Spirit, and marble reliefs of the Jesuit saints are also done and will be sent soon from Spain to Miami. The statue of St. Ignatius has always been here. For several years it’s been in the administration building. It will be moved to its new location sometime in the summer.
Well, that’s a general overview. God willing, we are looking at the beginning of the next academic year for the consecration of the chapel. It will be an awesome event and the Archbishop of Miami has been informed. He is excited to take part in it. Soon enough we will be up and running.
As the weeks go by, I will email the progress occasionally. There is still a lot more being done, but I have to save some material for future emails. Keep the chapel construction in your prayers.
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.