To the Band of Brothers: August 11, 2021
Good morning!
I know what you’re thinking. “Oh no, if I just got an email from Fr. Willie, it must mean school is about to start!” Hold your horses. While it is true that classes are right around the corner, this email is about something else. As a matter of fact, I have waited a couple of days for the euphoria to die down, but I have waited long enough.
In our 167 year history, few would contest that Belen Jesuit has provided for the world some pretty great alumni that have accomplished some pretty amazing stuff. The rigor of a Jesuit education creates grit. That’s a great word… grit. I don’t mean the kind of grit that you eat for breakfast. I mean the grit that makes the man. The grit that pushes you to do your best, not only because you want to, but because you realize that it is your responsibility and you owe it to the world and to God.
It is that very grit that has gotten Belen to where it is right now. We’ve come a long way. This academic year we will be celebrating 60 years of grit in Miami. The grit of the Jesuits who restarted the school here, the grit of faculty and staff, the grit of families and, especially, the grit of alumni. Grit makes it happen.
The alumni association has a lot of gritty people. We have provided the world with everything from a president of Cuba, to bishops, to scientists and medical pioneers. The gritty association has seen the likes of ambassadors to the OAS, mayors, congressmen, entrepreneurs, teachers, a Tony nominated actor, an Oscar winning composer, and priests. Now, for the first time, we have an alumnus who is a medalist at the Olympics!
Nick Martinez ’08 was the starting pitcher for Team USA at the championship baseball game against Japan in the Tokyo Olympics. He had a stellar outing. Pitching six innings, he struck out seven batters and allowed only one run. You can’t begin to imagine the pride I and so many alumni felt to see one of our very own taking the mound in one of the most important games for the United States. The son of Cuban immigrants and a graduate of an exiled school was wearing the red, white, and blue, taking the mound for the country that years ago welcomed his family and his alma mater with open arms.
It was a proud moment for Belen and a testament to the words of St. Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Let it be a lesson to all of you, that you can do anything if you put your mind to it, work hard, and show the kind of grit typical of a Belen alumnus.
See you soon!
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.