To the Band of Brothers: October 21, 2021
You may be wondering where I’ve been the last few days. Or, you may not be wondering at all. With all the homecoming events and activities, it is very possible my absence has gone completely unnoticed. That’s good.
Well, I have been out. Several trips have converged making my absence a necessity for about a week. For the last two days, Mr. Roca '84 and I have been at the Jesuit School Network (JSN) meeting for presidents and principals in Houston, Texas.
As a Jesuit school, Belen belongs to a nationwide network of schools seeped in the Ignatian tradition. These are schools operated by the Society of Jesus for the purpose of formation and evangelization. Yesterday morning I was sitting at a table with administrators from a high school in Detroit (I sympathized with him about our NFL teams), another from Cincinnati, and another from Belize.
That’s right, you read correctly… Belize! I know it’s not the U.S., but Belize is a country the American Jesuits have worked in for over a hundred years. St. John’s College High School in Belize City is one of many Jesuit schools in Central America who also work hard to teach the gospel to its students.
Funny thing, for as much as these cities, states, and even countries differ from each other, listening to their challenges and successes makes me realize how similar we truly are. Sometimes I forget that Belen’s challenges are the same as those of other Jesuit schools across the board. While Belen has a particular history, context, and culture, its issues are pretty commonplace.
Taking time off from being on campus for meetings like this is always beneficial and a worthwhile investment. It gives us an opportunity to listen to how others deal with certain issues and how we are not the only ones who struggle at times. While not all solutions work for us, many do and it is great to borrow best practices.
Well, I hope you guys continue to enjoy your homecoming week. I’ve seen on Instagram and from emails and text messages that things are going well and you’re having fun. Congratulations to Paco Prio ‘22 and Andy Bru ‘22 and their student council team for all their hard work. They are a stellar team and I’m very proud of them.
See you on Monday.
Auspice Maria!
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@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 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 sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.