Cartaya, García-Rosales Celebrate Golden Jubilees
Congratulations to Jesuit Fathers Pedro Cartaya and Nelson García-Rosales on the 50th anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood.
Both will join Archbishop Thomas Wenski at the Chrism Mass on April 11 to renew their commitment to priestly service. They will be among other Jubilarians who are celebrating 25, 50, 60, or 65 years.
“Besides being fellow Jesuits in my community, I consider both Fr. Nelson and Fr. Cartaya good friends,” said Jesuit Father Alberto Garcia, Superior of the Society of Jesus in Miami. “They are not perfect human beings. They have limitations as we all have. But those faults cannot obscure the enormous amount of good service and dedication during these 50 years. I am very grateful for their gift to the Church and for having been able to share part of that gift. May God reward them tenfold for the blessings they have bestowed on the people of God.”
The Chrism Mass is celebrated on Holy Tuesday and the institution of the priesthood is also honored because the holy oils that are blessed on that day are used in the sacramental life of the Church and during ordination. They were anointed with “the oil of gladness” and as Pope Francis has reminded us, “anointing invites us to accept and appreciate this great gift – the joy of being a priest.”
Father Pedro Cartaya was born March 31, 1936 and entered the formation process on October 9, 1954 the same year he graduated from Belen in Cuba. In 1962 he began teaching at Belen Jesuit in Miami and on June 2, 1967 he was ordained for the Jesuit Order, Antilles province at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Miami. Father Cartaya studied Philosophy in Barcelona, Spain before completing his studies at St. Louis University, Missouri where he received a Ph.D in literature. Currently, he serves as the Director of Belen’s Observatory, Spiritual Counselor, and Chaplain to the Alumni Association.
Father Cartaya has been a mainstay in the Belen community for over 5-decades having taught literature, philosophy, and astronomy. His passion for astronomy inspired the class of 1972 to build the Fr. Benito Vieñes, SJ Observatory. Through his dedication to astronomy he has been able to continue a great Jesuit tradition of science and education through the observatory.
“The future of the Society of Jesus is in the hands of our young people,” said Fr. Cartaya. “They are the root and one day they will be our future. I give everything I have to shape their faith and Christian values so that one day they will be good husbands, fathers, and professionals. It’s my mission to shape both their minds and hearts. It’s been such a rewarding experience to share my life with them.”
Father Nelson García-Rosales was born on May 1, 1935 and entered into the Jesuit Order on August 21, 1954. He was ordained on June 2, 1967 at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Miami. Before beginning his tenure as a Spiritual Counselor at Belen Jesuit Father Garcia served the Society of Jesus in many different ways. He was assigned the rector to three different schools in the Dominican Republic: Colegio Loyola, Santo Domingo 1968-76, Colegio Agricola San Ignacio de Loyola, Dajabon, 1977-79, and Instituto Politecnico Loyola, San Cristobal 1979-1983. He then served as the provincial for the Antilles Province from 1983-89. Following that assignment he returned to the Colegio Loyola as its rector from 1989-1996. In 1996 he became the superior at Loyola y Manresa Altagracia until 2003. Since 2004, Father Garcia has been a Spiritual Counselor at the school.
"Working with students has been such a blessing,” said Father García-Rosales. “To be able to listen and guide them through their spirituality and helping them find God in all things was one of the reasons I became a priest. As I celebrate 50 years in the priesthood I remember all those priests and Jesuits that inspired my vocation and helped me during my formation. I'm grateful to them and to everyone who I have been blessed to know here in Miami, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba."
“When you walk down the halls of the school and see Fr. Nelson approaching from the opposite direction, you can't help but smile,” said Deacon Robert O’Malley, Spiritual Counselor. “Fr. Nelson's cheerful and welcoming smile is infectious and brightens the day for all whom he encounters. On this the occasion of Fr. Nelson's 50 years as a Jesuit, Belen looks back with fondness at the many ways in which it has been enriched and blessed by his spiritual, educational and caring influence. We are indeed grateful for Fr. Nelson's friendship and presence among us. May God bless him with an abundance of grace in the coming years.”
Twenty-five students and teachers will be attending the Chrism mass at the Cathedral. Students representing the sophomore and senior classes were selected because those are the grade levels that they each counsel.
“Jesuit Fathers García-Rosales and Cartaya's commitment to our students is extraordinary,” said Jose E. Roca, principal. “Father García-Rosales can always be found sitting on a bench on the second floor speaking to his 10th grade students. He listens to them and offers advice on their spiritual needs. Father Cartaya is always available to his 12th grade students. He is also a great listener and gets to know each 12th grader individually. We look forward to attending the 2017 Chrism Mass where they will be recognized for their 50 years as priests."
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.