Belen Jesuit Magazine | Summer 2015

Belen Jesuit

MESSAGE FROM THE

DIRECTOR OF THE ASSOCIATION

Every year, I have the honor of introducing the seniors to the Alumni Association and acquaint them to the next phase of their Belen journey. This year, I had the privilege to welcome 227 new members to our organization. Hopefully, I was able to inspire them as they head towards their future. The message was simple, remember your roots, remember that you are standing on the shoulders of giants, and that your future actions will be a reflection of our legacy.

As an alumni association, we are very proud of the school’s success this past academic year. We have had three National Merit Finalists, 7 Silver Knight Nominees, and 3 ISSF (Independent Schools of South Florida) winners. Additionally, members of the class of 2015 have earned over 16 million dollars in college scholarships. Athletically, our sports teams finished as the best overall boys 6-A Athletic program in Florida. We won an impressive number of titles; including a State Championship in water polo. Eight out of our 13 varsity team sports won their District Championships, and 3 won Regional Championships.

Alumni answered the call to help others by working on the Reyes Magis events during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most recently, on the Magis Helping Hands Project, we coordinated efforts with the Knights of Columbus and Catholic Relief Services to raise money, package, and deliver food for West Africa. These activities saw alumni, students, and families from Belen working side by side in this mission of community service for those that need it the most.

No matter when or where you graduated, the link that bonds us is our Jesuit education. At the core of that education is our spiritual identity which originated with Saint Ignatius of Loyola creating the Spiritual Exercises. Belen Jesuit is generously offering

to cover the expenses for the faculty to attend any one of three Spiritual Exercises during this summer. These Ignatian retreats will be conducted in English and are designed for all those who would like to deepen their own spirituality in the Ignatian tradition. You are cordially invited to participate in one of these retreats, which will be held at Manresa Retreat House (Ignatian Spirituality Center).

The retreat dates and their masters will be:

June 26-28 led by Fr. Pedro A. Suarez, S.J. '58

July 10-12 led by Fr. Guillermo Garcia-Tuñon, S.J. '87

August 7-9 led by Fr. Christian Saenz, S.J. '95

School President Father Pedro Suarez, class of 1958, recently announced that Father Willie Garcia-Tuñon, class of 1987, is returning to Belen Jesuit as Director of Development and will eventually assume the presidency of the school in 2016. On behalf of the Alumni Association, I wish these two fellow alumni all the best in this upcoming transition year, “For the greater glory of God.”

Earlier, I mentioned that we stand on the shoulders of giants, and one of those giants was Father Dorta Duque. He was and will be remembered as the person that bridged alumni that had drifted away from Belen and connected them back to the school we all love. When he passed away in December, although sad, we know he is watching over us. Father Dorta laid the foundation for the Alumni Association we have today and for that, I, for one, will always be grateful.

Thank you to all those that have participated, supported, and have been involved during the 2014-2015 academic year. In the coming school year, we look forward to our signature fall events such as the Alumni Tailgate on September 25, Alumni Night on October 17, and the Annual Gala on November 7. Save those dates and we hope to see you then!

Mariano

Loret de Mola '58 Director of the Belen Alumni Association

ALUMNI MAGAZINE belen jesuit

Fr. Pedro Suarez, SJ ‘58 Belen Jesuit School President

Fr. Ernesto Fernandez-Travieso, SJ Vice-President and Editor-in-Chief

Mariano Loret de Mola ‘58 Alumni Association Director

Roberto Borbolla ’56 Alumni Content

Sujayla Collins

Carlos Batlle ’80 – President

Antonio Castro ’86 – Vice President

L. J. Rodriguez ’93 – Treasurer

Jose A. Garrido III ’99 – Secretary

Antonio Abella ’59

Rober to Colon ’04

Hector Formoso-Murias ’82

Alberto Gutierrez ’88

Peter Montadas ’76

Tomas Pla ’00

Gabriel Dieppa ’96

Jose A. Garrido, Jr. ’72

Reinaldo Ramos ’58

Crescencio Ruiz ’76

Francisco "Paco" Ruiz ’73

Fr. Juan Manuel Dorta-Duque, SJ ‘40 - Spiritual Director †

Fr. Pedro Cartaya, SJ ‘54 - Alumni Association Chaplain

BELEN JESUIT ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published biannually. Circulation: 6,000

Please address all correspondence to the Alumni Office.

Periodicals postage paid at Miami, FL and additional mailing points.

Postmaster: Send address changes to:

Belen Alumni Office

500 Southwest 127 Avenue Miami, Fl 33184

Phone: 786.621.4674 Fax: 786.621.4662

E-mail: alumni@belenjesuit.org

On the cover: Father Juan Manuel Dorta-Duque, SJ '40 Photo enhanced by: Mr. Johnny Calderin '92

community

By: Lucas Cabrera-Ramon ‘17 Echoes Staff

• On January 24th, sophomores and their mothers gathered at Belen at seven o'clock to take part in an unforgettable evening. Students and their mothers danced salsa music, enjoyed a delicious meal, and spent quality time with each other during Mother and Son Day.

• Taiwanese students from St. Ignatius High School travelled to Miami to spend two weeks shadowing current seniors and juniors who were a part of the Mandarin program. During the Easter break, Belen students travelled to Taiwan where they spent 12 days shadowing Taiwanese students from St. Ignatius High school and partaking in their daily lives.

• The school's thespians, along with actresses from Our Lady of Lourdes High School performed the play The Addams Family. Over 30 students took part in this musical production produced by Drama teacher Mr. Francisco Padura.

• The graduating class of 2015 participated in a memorable weekend experience in which the seniors examined their personal lives under the guidance of peer ministers, priests, and some faculty members. The young men took the time to discuss their past experiences at the school as well as their goals for their future. The Senior Encounter took place in the school gym, where seven years before, they all met during the sixth grade Lock-In.

• Eighth graders celebrated the end of their school year as the seniors of Middle School and danced the night away in the eighth grade prom. The eighth graders dressed up and attended the dance which was held in the school gym. The event took place May 1 from 8 pm through midnight.

• Family and friends gathered in the gym on May 7th to commemorate the transition to high school of the class of 2019. School president Father Pedro Suarez, SJ blessed the pins that were handed to each eighth grader on that day. The pins symbolized their rite of passage on to high school, and the end of their middle school life.

• Ignatian Week was celebrated at school from March 9th through March 13th. Students designed posters and built projects representing and honoring the Jesuit tradition. The culminating event was called Ignite the Night when the community gathered in the Garrido Family Plaza of the school to pray and reflect on the influence of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the Jesuits that have come and gone since.

• Junior prom was held April 18th at the Hyatt Regency in Coral Gables. Over 150 juniors and their dates attended the event that included the theme of The Great Gatsby.

• Pope Francis sent Belen Jesuit a beautiful Papal Blessing in commemoration of the school's 160th Anniversary. It is currently on display in the main school office.

• On the 15th of May, the class of 2015 geared up for a night they would never forget as they celebrated with their friends at The Trump National in Doral. The theme of the night was the movie The Godfather

• The graduating class got together to celebrate mass one last time May 18th at Our lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. The baccalaureate mass called for a moment of reflection among the senior class before taking the final step to graduation. It was a moving ceremony presided by Father Michael Davis, Pastor of the Church of the Little Flower.

• The alumni pin ceremony took place May 27 in the Roca Theater. Seniors received their alumni pins from a member of the alumni association symbolizing the rite of passage from student to graduate. Attending the mass were Father Pedro Suarez, SJ '58, Father Pedro Cartaya, SJ '54, Father Frank Permuy, SJ '85, Carlos Batlle '80, and Mariano Loret de Mola '58.

• The class of 2015 participated in their annual Pan con Lechon luncheon May 15th. The luncheon was followed by a small tree planting ceremony dedicated to the class of 1956, which was the first class to celebrate a reunion in the current campus. A picture of the original tree planting can be found on page 18 of this magazine.

• On the 28th of June, the class of 2015 gathered at the James L. Knight Center for the Commencement Ceremonies. The keynote speaker at the event was Mr. Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dade Public Schools. A total of 227 seniors walked across the stage that night becoming the official next generation of Belen alumni.

Father Izquierdo Golf Tournament

For the last 16 years, we have assembled at the International Links Miami Melreese Country Club to play some golf and honor and remember Father Jose Maria Izquierdo SJ.

The mission of this tournament, to raise funds for the Belen Scholarship Program, provides financial aid to over 300 students. With your cooperation, we have funded over 100 scholarships to give young men in our community a chance to attend Belen Jesuit.

We would like to thank our sponsors, AA Uniforms, 1First Bank, Mercedes Benz, Sena Golf, J.I.S. Construction Management, Miami Orthopedics Sports Medicine Institute, Land Rover South Dade, BSN Sports, Gaston Lacayo III MD, Law Offices of David Fernandez, Artisan Media, Libby’s, UDT, MBAF, Catholic Hospice, Leon Medical Centers, Jose Milton & Assoc., TD Bank, Sabadell Bank, La Esquina del Lechon, Wynwood Brewery and Psychcare for their participation and support.

ACADEMICS

GRADUATION AW ARDS

Alexander Vidal

Valedictorian

Carlos Jimenez

Pedro Hurtado, SJ Communications

Julian Esain

Jose Rubinos, SJ Modern Languages

Jose Chan

Salutatorian

Ryan Falcon

Matteo Ricci, SJ Computer Science

Michael Limia

St. Francis Xavier, SJ Scholar Athlete

Julian Esain

JSEA

John Balloveras

Gerard M. Hopkins, SJ English

Alexander Vidal

Pierre T. de Chardin, SJ Science

Anthony Padura

Andrea Pozzo, SJ Humanities

Carlos Perez-Heydrich

John Carroll, SJ Social Studies

Felipe Montes de Oca

archbishop award

Manuel Fernandez

Christopher Clavius, SJ Mathematics

Armando Marquez

Karl Rahner, SJ Theology

NEWS Where Are They Going

Abascal, Eduardo:The George Washington University

Abud-Pichardo, Michel:University of Southern California

Acevedo, Victor:Loyola University New Orleans

Aguilera, Jorge:University of Wyoming

Albelo, Oreste:Loyola University New Orleans

Albert, Gerard:Florida Gulf Coast University

Andujas, Daniel:Florida International University

Angarita, Miguel:New York University

Aragone, Pedro:Southern Methodist University

Armengol, Jose:Holy Cross - Notre Dame Gateway Program

Aspuru, Alexander:Miami Dade- Honors College

Azze, Ricardo:The George Washington University

Baez, Alvaro:Villanova University

Balloveras, John:University of Florida

Baptista, Christian:Florida International University Honors College

Barditch, Joshua:John Carroll University

Barral, Ernest:University of Miami Foote Fellows Program

Barrero, Juan:University of Chicago

Barroso, John:Loyola University Maryland

Basalo, Miguel:Marist College

Battle, Frank:University of Connecticut

Beasley, Nicolas:Rochester Institute of Technology

Blanco, Christopher:Florida State University

Bogardus, Guillermo:Santa Fe College

Borino, Brandon:Florida International University

Botero, Daniel:Marquette University

Boudet, Otto:Loyola University Maryland

Boulos, Amir:Boston College

Cabrera, Jorge:University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business

Caldera, Enrique:Miami Dade College

Calero, Eric:University of Miami

Candia, Alexander:Miami Dade College

Cariello, Rafael:University of Miami

Carreras, Raul:Florida Gulf Coast University

Casamayor, Matthew:Florida State University Honors Program

Casariego, Andres:Spring Hill College

Castellanos, Francisco:Tallahassee Community College

Chan, Jose:Georgia Institute of Technology

Chavez, Andres:Florida International University Honors College

Chegwin, Jose:Barry University

Chikuji, Steven:Florida International University

Chinchilla, Andres.:Santa Fe College

Cirera, Joseph:Florida International University

Cosio, Alberto:University of Miami

Cosio, Jose:Stetson University

Cruz, Eduardo:Marquette University

Cuevas, Ezequiel:Florida International University Honors College

Davila-Wollheim, Javier:Florida International University

De Campos, Juan:The University of Scranton

De Cardenas, Gaston:Miami Dade College

de la O, Nicolas:University of Miami

Diaz, Alejandro:Florida State University

Diaz, Matthew:Florida State University

Dominguez, Isaac:Florida Atlantic University

Dominguez, Max:Miami Dade College

Dopico, Christian:Fordham University

Duenas, Hugo:Florida International University Honors College

Elias, William:Florida International University Honors College

Esain, Julian:The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Escallon, Jose Antonio:University of Florida

Escobar, Andrew:Florida Gulf Coast University

Estrada, Christian:University of Florida

Fajardo, Nicholas Andres:Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Falcon, Ryan Daniel:Florida International University Honors College

Fernandez, Andres Castor:Washington University in St. Louis

Fernandez, Benny Alexander:Florida International University

Fernandez, Manuel:Carnegie Mellon University

Fernandez, Nicolas Alberto:Boston College

Fernandez-Rocha, Levi:Florida State University

Fernandez-Rocha, Liam:Florida State University

Galvez, Julioo:Florida International University

Garcia, Horacio:The University of Alabama

Garcia, Jose:Florida International University

Garcia, Luis:Florida International University

Garcia, Nikulas:Santa Fe College

Garcia-Velez, Calixto:Wake Forest University

Gaviria, Giovanni:Tallahassee Community College

Giordano, Louis:Florida State University

Gomez, Francisco:Miami Dade College

Gomez, Michael:Florida International University

Gonzalez, Cesar:The Catholic University of America

Gonzalez-Abreu, Dante:Emerson College

Guerrero, Javier:Miami Dade-Honors College

Guso, Ryan:Fordham University

Gutierrez, Jonathan:Florida State University

Gutierrez, Ryan:University of Miami

Guzman, Kevin:Florida International University Honors College

Halvorssen, Erik:Florida State University

Hasegawa, Alejandro:Syracuse University

Hassun, Justin:Loyola University New Orleans

Hermida, Adrian:Florida International University

Hernandez, Daniel:Trinity College

Hernandez, Marcello:John Carroll University

Hernando, Javier:DigiPen Institute of Technology

Herrera, Brandon:New York University

Hidalgo, Andres:University of Miami

Ibarra, Andres:Florida State University

Ismail, Rashad:Florida State University

Iturregui, Enrique:New York University

Javier, Juan:New York University Stern School of Business

Jimenez, Carlos:Florida International University

Juan, Andres:University of Miami

Juan, Carlos:University of Miami

Juan, Mikel:University of Miami

Keenan, Alexander:University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business

Keenan, Nicholas:University of Pennsylvania

Lamarche, Leonardo:Santa Fe College

Lascano, Joshua:Miami Dade College

Laurita, Lorenzo Federico:Loyola University New Orleans

Leyva, Michael Jesus:University of Miami

Lima, Bernardo Belchior:Pennsylvania State University

Limia, Michael Edward:University of Florida Honors College

Llanes, Jose Luis:Miami Dade College

Llorente, Alberto Daniel:Florida International University

Lloyds, Oscar Enrique:Virginia Military Institute

Lola, Saul Vladimir:Miami Dade College

Lopez, Christian Edward:The University of Alabama

Lopez, Cristian Jose:University of South Florida

Lopez, Kevin James:Florida International University

Lopez, William:Cornell University

Lopez-Varela, Jose:Florida International University

Lovo, Manuel:Marquette University

Macias, Mariano Harry:Southern Methodist University

Maguina, Jose:Florida Atlantic University

Marimon, Marcos:Florida International University Honors College

Marquez, Armando:Northwestern University

Martinez, Carlos:University of Florida

Medina, Gustavo:Loyola University Maryland

Menendez, Joseph:Babson College

Mercado, Enrique:Loyola University Maryland

Michel, Carlos:University of Miami

Milanes, Sebastian:Vanderbilt University

Mion-Bet, Ander:Florida International University

Molina, Fernando:Bentley University

Montadas, Antonio:Florida International University

Montes De Oca, Felipe:University of Michigan

Mullin-Garcia, Matthew:Saint Joseph's University

Muriedas, Andrew:Florida International University

Pardo, Alberto:Boston College

Pedrozo IV, Alejandro:Florida International University

Pelegri, Jose:New York University Tisch School of the Arts

Perez, Ignacio:University of Miami

Perez, Joseph Francis:University of Florida

Perez, Marcos:Palm Beach Atlantic University

Perez-Heydrich, Carlos:The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Perez-Pino, Anthony:Florida State University

Pertierra, Robert:Florida State University

Peterson, Nicholas:The University of Alabama

Peterson, Steven:Florida State University

Placeres, Steven:Florida International University

Portal, Hanler:The University of Alabama

Powell, Andrew:University of Notre Dame

Prussing, Gunther:United States Air Force Academy

Pugliese, Marc:University of Florida

Pulles, Robert:Florida International University

Qureshi, Michael:University of Miami

Ramirez, Jake:University of Miami

Ramon, Michael:Florida International University

Rey Brooks, Jonathan:Savannah College of Art and Design

Rincon, Jesus:Boston University

Roberts, Tyler:Florida State University

Rodriguez, Benjamin:Miami Dade College

Rodriguez, Casey:Loyola University Maryland

Rodriguez, Jake:Union College

Rodriguez, Jorge:Florida International University

Rodriguez, Luis:Tallahassee Community College

Rodriguez, Nicholas:Florida International University

Rodriguez, Richard:The Gator Design & Construction Program at Santa Fe and University of Florida

Rodriguez, Ryan:University of Florida

Rodriguez Granda, Agustin Pedro:University of Miami

Rojas, Nikolas:The Ohio State University

Ros, Nicolas:University of Florida

Rosario, Javier:Eckerd College

Rovira, Gabriel:Miami Dade College

Ruiz, Tito:Miami Dade College

Sagarduy, Inigo:Florida International University Honors College

Salazar Taua, Nicolas:The University of Texas, Austin

Sanchez, Alexander:Florida State University

Sanchez, Andres:Florida International University

Sanchez, Manuel Francisco:Cornell University

Sanchez, Wilfredo:Miami Dade College

Santiago, Andres:Purdue University

Santos, Eduardo:University of South Florida

Sanz-Perez, Jonathan:Florida International University

Sarduy, Osvaldo:University of Florida

Seda, Alejandro:Saint Joseph's University

Sierra, Brandon:Tallahassee Community College

Silvestry, Brandon:Loyola University New Orleans

Simms, Daniel:Miami Dade- Honors College

Solanilla, Carlos:University of South Florida

Suarez, Luis:Florida State University

Tefel, Michael:Sewanee: The University of the South Tenorio, Nicholas:Miami Dade College

Tomasino-Perez, Walter:University of Florida

Torres de Navarra, Carlos:Wake Forest University

Torvis, Alejandro:University of Florida

Trujillo, Cristian:Florida International University

Ureta, Nicholas:Florida State University

Vadell, Guillermo:Babson College

Valdes Guicciardi, Giovanni:Florida International University

Vargas, Karol:Allegheny College

Vargas, Luis:University of Chicago

Vazquez, Nicholas:Florida State University

Vento, Alexandr:Spring Hill College

Vidal, Alexander:Yale University

Fonte, Augusto:Fordham University

Formoso-Murias, Hector:Georgetown University

Fowler, Christian:University of Florida

Franca, Michael:Tulane University

Francoeur, Stephane:Florida International University

Fuentes, Francesco:Marquette University

Murphy, Matthew:University of Miami

Naon, Albert:University of Miami

Novoa, Alexander:Florida State University

Nunez, Osvaldo:University of Miami

Nunez, Santiago:Brown University

Ordonez, Joseph:The Ohio State University

Pablos-Aguirre, Carlos:Florida International University Honors College

Padura, Anthony:Florida International University Honors College

Vigil, Lucas:Pennsylvania State University

Villasante, Roberto:Cornell University

Vina, Jose:Florida International University

Waechter, Robert:University of Miami

White, Mark:Miami Dade-Honors College

Williams, Jerry:University of Miami

Woodry, Robert:Loyola University New Orleans

Zaldivar, Roger:Florida International University

By: Justin Rodriguez ‘16 Echoes Editor

ATHLETICS

• The varsity tennis team was one of the toughest teams to beat in the league throughout the season. This was the first year for Coach Mauricio Valderruten who took over for Mr. Timothy VanScoy. The team ended their season with a District Championship.

• The volleyball team had a successful season ending with a winning record of 10-5. Although they did not win districts, the team made it all the way to the semifinals. The team consisted of many talented seniors battling hard in their final year.

• The varsity water polo team did not let their fans down. The team as a unit worked hard and competed to the best of their ability to be able to go to states and win it all.

• The middle school water polo team had a very short yet successful season. Although only having three games, they went undefeated and then went on to train with the state champion varsity team.

• Last season’s lacrosse varsity team was a young one. The team, which was mainly comprised of juniors, defeated top district rivals setting new records and standards for the years to come.

• The varsity baseball team fell short at the District level, however, their final season record was 13-9. With a number of players moving on to play at the collegiate level, next year's team will surely pick up where they left off.

• The JV baseball team battled through the season, ending with a record of 16-9. The team was mostly comprised of both sophomores and freshmen.

• The middle school gold baseball team had a very successful season ending with a winning record. The team played numerous double headers giving them the confidence to move to the next level.

• As the middle school baseball season shifted slightly towards the end of the year, the blue team made its rounds winning most of the games. With an extraordinary defense, the Blue Team was a force to reckon with.

• The sixth grade baseball team had another successful undefeated season. The team had a great run led by phenomenal hitting and the energy of a young team.

• The crew team has had a very successful season competing in prestigious regattas and winning overall points in multiple races including the Head of the Hooch held in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

• Being a relatively new team, the bowling team was successful in giving it all they had. This year the team was able to place eighth at districts. Furthermore, one of its senior members became the first Belen student to move on to bowl at the collegiate level.

• This year, the varsity track and field team was tough and fought through the season. The team dominated the District meet beating top teams like Northwestern and Carol City.

• The middle school track team had a very successful season winning almost every single meet or at least placing within the top three spots. The majority of the team consisted of seventh graders, making the team a relatively young group with much potential for the years to come.

• The sixth grade team had a highly successful and consistent season in terms of wins. The team went almost undefeated with the exception of a few races. Along with this group of sixth graders, there were two new coaches who joined the staff: Coaches Alexander Isaac '14 and Gabriel von der Osten '13 who also ran for the school’s track and field team.

• The varsity soccer team had an overall good season this year. Working with not many seniors this season, the team was able to go all the way to the regional finals where they then faced defeat.

• Last season, the middle school and junior varsity soccer teams played under coaches Mr. Julio Goncalvez Campos, Gabriel Loret De Mola '11, and Dagoberto Lara. The team had a very explosive attack, and a very deep roster with impact players coming off the bench.

• Being a small team, the wrestling team was able to come out from the cracks and achieve big things. Although the team might not have done its best as a whole, individually the team did really well.

State Bound: Teams Head to State and Bring Home Title

By: Carlos Jimenez ‘15 Echoes Editor In Chief

Belen has been on a winning streak of State Championships since 2006. This year varsity water polo secured the streak in the memorable game against Saint Thomas Aquinas High School. Veteran leaders, seniors Ryan Guso and Santiago Nunez scored eight of the ten goals. Both seniors signed to play at the collegiate level. The other two goals were made by junior Alexander Alepuz and sophomore Pablo Kurzan.

Water polo was not the only sport that represented Belen at the state competition. Regular visits from the cross country, swimming, tennis, and track and field teams showed their presence at these events where only the best are invited. This year the cross country team had to battle through a very competitive 3A Class. The team came in third behind Lawton Chiles High School and Leon High School. Individually, senior Ryan Rodriguez placed sixth with a time of 15:37. Also part of the team were senior Matthew Mullin-Garcia, juniors Jaime Lopez, Nicolas Roca, Juan Bruno Zayas, Jorge Gomez, and freshman Joshua Collins. Though the four year consecutive state titles ended for the team this year, they are still considered one of the best programs in the state and have the best overall record in the history of cross country.

This year with the addition of freshman Javier Samuell, Belen can now boast a swimming and diving team. The team finished as State Runner-Ups, leaving it up to the 400 yard freestyle relay. In that event, senior Miguel Basalo and sophomores Alejandro Corriazo, Max Garcia

del Pozo, and Daniel Simpson placed fourth with a time of 3:13. Other valuable team moments included Bernardo Lima who placed fifth in the 100 yards breaststroke, Carriazo who placed third in the 100 yard backstroke and fifth in the 100 yard butterfly, Garcia-del Pozo who placed sixth in the 100 yard butterfly, the 200 yard medley relay that placed first, and the 200 yard freestyle relay that placed sixth. The Varsity swimming team placed second at the State Championship. Despite the team coming in second, the swimmers are ready to compete next year and add on to the seven titles the school has won in the last decade.

At the state level for tennis, senior Alejandro Hasegawa and sophomore Daniel Martinez won their first match 6-1 and 6-3. They then lost their next match 4-6 and 6-7. This was Hasegawa’s third time competing at the states. He has been a part of Belen’s tennis program since he was in eighth grade.

This year the track and field team classified for the state level in the 1600 meter, 3200 meter, and the 300 meter hurdles. In the 300 meter hurdles, senior Stephane Francoeur did not make it to the finals due to discomfort in his hamstrings. In the 1600m, junior Juan Bruno Zayas came in seventh with a time of 4:23.67. In the 3200m, junior Jaime Lopez placed eighth, freshman Joshua Collins placed ninth, and junior Nicolas Roca placed eleventh. The young team now looks forward to another chance at states where they will return with more experience and better focus on their event.

TOMBOLA

Against

MAGIS all odds

By: Daniel Chavez ‘17 Echoes Staff

Father Pedro Gonzalez-Llorente was born in Havana, Cuba, June 29, 1940. He attended Colegio Belen fully aware that he wanted to obtain a good education. After graduating in 1958, he enrolled in the University of Havana’s School of Engineering hoping to pursue a career as an electrical engineer.

Despite enjoying a comfortable life, he felt he was missing something. A close friend, who had recently discovered his own vocation to be a Jesuit priest, suggested to him that he revise his own life, because he too might have a similar calling. That conversation planted a seed in his soul. After a thorough self examination, prayer, consultation and several retreats, Father Gonzalez-Llorente reached the decision that Jesus was calling him to be a Jesuit.

Since the Novitiate of the Cuban Jesuits had been moved to Venezuela, he left his beloved country July 4th, 1961, and on September 7 of that same year, he entered the Society of Jesus. For eleven years he studied in Venezuela, USA, and Belgium, and was finally ordained in Caracas July 30, 1972. He always longed to return to Cuba, his homeland, and work among the Cuban people. However, at that time many Cubans were leaving the island in the midst of the revolution.

For 43 years Father Gonzalez-Llorente led a very active life. He served in the

Dominican Republic as Assistant to the Director of Novices, who at the time was Father Francisco Perez-Lerena, SJ, ex-President of Belen. While in the Dominican Republic, he worked at the Catholic radio station Radio Santa Maria, where he was in charge of a very popular program called Universidad para Todos (University for All), that included live broadcasting from peasant communities.

In 1984 he was assigned to work as a teacher of Communication Media and spiritual counselor for the young Jesuits studying for the priesthood in Santo Domingo. He was able to develop and teach courses in speech, writing, photography, film production, film history, journalism, and critical analysis of the media. Father Gonzalez-Llorente also founded a Pastoral Center for Audiovisual Production, which gave great impetus to the production of hundreds of photo and video documentaries, both fictional and nonfictional.

At the invitation of the Cardinal Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez, Father Gonzalez-Llorente worked in the Catholic TV station Televida as Director of Programming and Production, besides producing some of the programs himself. One of his most important achievements during this time was the innovative broadcasting of St. Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises on TV.

His earnest desire to work in Cuba was finally made possible in December 2004. In Cuba he was assigned to a parish located in an impoverished neighborhood of

Havana known as El Cerro. During his six years as a parish priest, Father Gonzalez-Llorente did everything expected from a pastor. He baptized babies, supervised catechetical instruction, visited the elderly and the sick, performed marriages, and celebrated daily mass. He also welcomed to the parish a group of alcoholics anonymous. Father’s work may have constituted the only spiritual message that his parishioners had received in a long time. Unfortunately, since he left Cuba, the community has not had a regular pastor, the small church is today in ruins, and many of the churchgoers have dispersed. When mass is celebrated by a visiting priest, it is done in the sacristy.

While in Cuba, Father Gonzalez-Llorente became involved in a series of weekend Spiritual Exercises for groups of young people all over the island. His passion for communications led him to produce seven short films, which was his first communications project in Cuba. These short films depicted a typical Cuban family facing the challenges of daily life. The films analyzed the education of the children, the role of each parent, the difficulties encountered by adolescents, the threats of sexual harassment, the secret lies that may disrupt a family, lack of communication within the family, abortion, and other topics. These educational films were shown throughout churches and local communities, and quickly became widely popular throughout the island. His goal was to let the people know how Christian spirituality could help overcome everyday problems, make better decisions, and

improve the quality of family life.

Father Gonzalez-Llorente's ministry of the Spiritual Exercises for the young was possible in part due to the generous support of Belen alumni from the classes of 1957 and 1958, and two young novices in Cuba who helped to spread the word. Five houses were used for these retreats: two in Havana, one in Colon (Matanzas), one in Camaguey, and one in El Cobre, near Santiago de Cuba.

Living in Cuba was a unique experience, according to Gonzalez-Llorente. One is able to live a normal life and work in various activities, but you always have the sensation that you are being watched. True, as a priest you are not stopped on the street or arrested. But you have to watch what you say in public, what you preach, and even what you say to a friend over the phone.

Father Gonzalez-Llorente's deteriorating health and his older brother's terminal cancer cut short his mission in Cuba. He now works a full schedule as a retreat director and spiritual counselor at Manresa Retreat House together with Father Marcelino Garcia, SJ (Sagua).

“At this time my life is a permanent act of thanksgiving and praise to God because of the many good things He is able to perform through this humble servant. To realize that God, such an immense and powerful Creator of the universe and humanity, uses my limited words and actions and my very being, to bring about so much good for so many people, is something that exceeds my wildest expectations,” said Father Gonzalez-Llorente.

DORTA-DUQUE one man, one mission

"Love ought to show itself in deeds more than in words"

By: Rodrigo Bustamante ‘16 Contributing Writer

Father Juan Manuel Dorta-Duque, SJ was born in Havana, Cuba, September 23, 1922. He was born to parents Manuel Dorta-Duque, a lawyer and politician, and Carmen Ortiz. In 1940, he graduated from the Colegio de Belén and enrolled at the University of Havana where he sought to pursue a career in law.

While at the university, he was very involved in the Agrupación Católica Universitaria. Dorta-Duque continued his studies until December 24, 1941, when he decided to enter the newly opened novitiate in Cienfuegos. He spent his time there studying Humanities and continued at El Calvario in Havana. In 1946, after completing his studies, he left for the University of Comillas in Santander, Spain, to begin studying philosophy. Once he completed this part of his formation, he taught at the Juniorate of El Calvario and Colegio Dolores. By 1952, he completed his doctorate in Philosophy at the University of Havana.

He returned to Spain to begin his studies in Theology but only spent one year there. He spent the next three years at Heythrop College in England. On September 8, 1955, while at Heythrop, he was ordained a priest. Father Dorta-Duque began Tertianship, the final stage of his Jesuit formation, between 1956 and 1957 and after 18 years of formation, on February 2, 1959, he professed his final vows.

When he returned to Cuba, the Revolution had already begun. He was transferred to the Center for Information and Social Action but returned to Colegio de Belén shortly thereafter. On November 17, 1959, he defended the freedoms

-Saint Ignatius of Loyola

that come with education and fought against the proposed education reform of Castro's regime.

The government officially confiscated the school in 1961. Despite this, Father Dorta-Duque stayed in Cuba as a pastor in Los Palacios in Pinar del Río. He was accused of being a counterrevolutionary in September 17, 1961, and was deported to Spain alongside many other Jesuits. Upon his return to Latin America, he was sent to Ecuador where he was asked to teach at the Catholic University of Quito. He was then appointed the Superior of the Jesuit Church and the adjacent residence. In 1966, he was sent to Rome to be Prefect of Studies at the Colegio Pio Latino Americano and on November 23, 1967, he came to Miami, where he lived for forty-seven years.

When he arrived, he quickly got to work and took over the Alumni Association at Belen. Father Dorta-Duque worked tirelessly to connect generations of alumni and create a network for those to come. His pastoral work, improvements in the Alumni Association and Magazine, and his care for each and every student, made him irreplaceable. He worked diligently until his death at 9 in the morning on Friday, December 5th, 2014 when he passed on to his permanent home with Our Lord. He lived for 92 years: 59 of those as a priest and 73 as a Jesuit.

The following are a series of excerpts and testimonials written by alumni that span over 50 years. Their words about Father Dorta-Duque are a testament to the man who would never give up his mission to keep the graduates of this Jesuit institution in contact with each other. His good deeds will withstand the test of time.

Cover Story

"Of all the names that are synonymous with Belen, none is more so than Father DortaDuque. Dorta was Belen and Belen was Dorta. Without him, friends separated by distance and the circumstances of life and exile, would not have reunited after years of separation. Without him, many would not have found the peace of Christ through the retreats he led the world over and his spiritual counsel. Although there are no buildings at Belen named after him, without him, many of those buildings would not exist. And perhaps most important to us and to the Belen legacy, without him, there would be no Alumni Association. His career at Belen started as a young student and continued as the “Director Emeritus” of the Alumni Association – spanning a remarkable 10 decades. Until recently, when prevented by failing health, he regularly attended Alumni Association Board meetings and events – always gracing us with his humor, insight and unforgettable smile. We will miss him – may he rest in peace."

Carlos Batlle ’80, Belen Alumni Association President

“He lived a long life, 92 years, and was an inspiration to so many. Through his leadership our alumni were able to connect from wherever they were in the world, and their bond of brotherhood was strengthened. As a Jesuit he was a true representation of ‘men for others’ and his vocation drove generations of laity and religious in the Ignatian spirit."

Pedro Suarez SJ ‘58, School President

“Just being able to know such a great man as Father Dorta Duque is something I will never forget.”

“Father Juan Manuel Dorta-Duque was shepherd of the flock known today around the world as the Belen Alumni Association of Jesuit Schools from Cuba and Miami. His passing is a milestone unequal in the history of our Association.”

Jorge Hernandez-Toraño ’75, Past President of the Belen Alumni Association

“Fr. Dorta-Duque, S.J was more than just a priest. He was a pillar, a true leader that helped mold the Alumni Association into what it is today and will be forever remembered as a legacy amongst alumni.”

Mariano Loret de Mola ‘58, Alumni Association Director

“It was an honor for me to work with Father Dorta for three years. He taught me a great deal about people and the value and importance of relationships - how you create, sustain, and nurture them. I am sad today, but comforted that he lived an amazing life - a life that touched so many.”

Alex Zequeira '90, Past Executive Director of the Belen Alumni Association

“Father Dorta was the ambassador and the photographer of the Association, traveling wherever there was a group of alumni, to officiate weddings and baptisms, conduct Spiritual Exercises and organize reunions, transmitting these events to all alumni through the pages of the Alumni Magazines.”

Roberto Borbolla ‘56

‘42

"Father Dorta was always a welcome presence in Boston. In 1995, when my father died, his non-Catholic widow didn’t want a mass for my dad. I called Father Dorta and he wisely suggested having a mass in dad’s funeral home BEFORE his widow arrived. I will always remember him."

Paul V. Montesino ‘55

“Con verdadera pena, recibimos desde España, el fallecimiento del inolvidable Padre Dorta, que supo impulsar y mantener el nexo de unión y amistad entre todos los antiguos alumnos de nuestro querido Colegio, sin escatimar esfuerzos de viajes y molestias.”

Jorge Méndez Jener ‘56

"I was a student at Belen when Fr. Dorta arrived and he made an immediate difference in the community. His positive outlook, his boundless energy, and his giant-sized sense of humor were transformational."

Jorge Munoz-Bustamante ‘69, Belen Jesuit Counselor

"Al padre Dorta debo yo el haberme encontrado y reintegrado no solo a la AAA sino tambien al seno de mi clase. Mucho disfrute con el en sus visitas a Barcelona."

Jose Lopez Mera '59

"I remember Father Dorta Duque’s visits to New Orleans, Houston and even St. Croix, USVI, where I lived. I also participated on a Spiritual Retreat and many Masses with our class of 1960."

Julio Lago ‘60

“Father Dorta, with his ever-present smile, good sense of humor, outstanding and pleasant personality, committed to the teachings of the Catholic Church and that of the Jesuit order which he so well represented. Father Dorta’s great contribution to this school and its survival was that of traveling the world to seek and to find the Belen alumni who had scattered all over the world to create an Alumni Association that would make sure that the strength of the school and its motto “Men for Others” would survive.”

Carlos Barquin, Belen Jesuit Athletic Director

“Father Dorta Duque was a warm, sweet, and friendly priest dedicated and determined to keep us together despite our indolence. He traveled throughout the world and every 5 years arranged a class reunion in Miami to provide me with the opportunity to meet a bunch of “elderly citizens” of Cuban descent who claim to have been my “classmates”. He also published a “Boletin” and a directory with the telephone numbers and addresses of all our “old buddies” that little by little have disappeared from our lives. Due to his efforts, our 160 year old Jesuit school is the envy of many who graduated from other schools.”

10 QUESTIONS FOR 1 ALUMNUS

By: Jose Arevalo '17 Echoes Staff

Jose Cil ‘87

Mr. Cil was recently appointed President of Burger King Corp. In 2008, the Spanish publication 'Franquicias Hoy' named Cil one of the top 40 Franchise Leaders in Spain. He was also named one of Hispanic Business Magazine’s Top 100 Influentials for 2009. Despite the numerous accolades, Mr. Cil still remains an incredibly grounded individual.

Q. What are your responsibilities as president of Burger King Corp?

"I lead a first-class team of talented professionals at Burger King Corp. around the world. They work from offices in our global Restaurant Support Center in Miami, our regional offices in Switzerland and Singapore, our division offices in Madrid and Slough (just outside of London), and in field offices in the many countries we serve. I am also responsible for the BURGER KING® brand and business worldwide – today, we have more than 14,500 restaurants in 100 countries and territories."

Q. How did your Belen experience help you with your career?

"I was fortunate enough to attend some top universities. From the first day of classes in the university, I was confident that I belonged… and that’s because the academic preparation at Belen was second to none. Of course, there were difficult courses in university and law school, but I always felt that Belen had prepared me for whatever was thrown my way. This was also the case as I began my career as a lawyer and then in business."

Q. Who were your mentors at Belen?

"I had two important mentors at Belen. First, Coach Richard Stuart. He was my football coach from tenth grade to twelfth

grade. Coach Stuart was a young coach back then (he’s still very young at heart!) and I was not a very good quarterback, so we didn’t do so well my junior and senior year. Nonetheless, Coach Stuart had tremendous drive, high integrity, worked hard, was humble, and was always striving to improve, and that was a great example for me… something I’ve always remembered and applied in everything I do. Second, was Ms. Sigrid Bango, my English teacher in twelfth grade. I remember starting class with very little interest in the subject and a mild interest in writing. She immediately put all of us to work on a significant writing project. She worked closely with each of us. Without my realizing it at first, she made me work hard in the classroom and at home and inspired me to further explore my fledgling interest in the written word. By the end of the year, because of her inspirational teaching, I had been transformed. In fact, towards the end of my senior year, I considered a career in journalism thanks, in large part, to her class."

Q. Is there one funny Belen moment that still makes you laugh?

"Other than picking up rocks on the Belen 'field' during Coach Barquin’s PE class back in 1981? There were many funny moments at Belen. One funny moment was early in seventh or eighth grade, someone at the school had the brilliant idea to bring in guard dogs for a demonstration to the student body in the main patio. After the demonstration, one of the dogs broke loose and chased some of the students into the cafeteria and onto the lunch tables. Not surprisingly, we never had another “dog show” at Belen."

Q. What is one lesson you learned in Belen that you will never forget?

"Our motto – Men for Others – was frequently woven into the many lessons we had at the school. While the phrase likely means nothing to those outside of the Jesuit society, it has a special meaning for me, as I am sure it does for the students and the many alumni that have graduated from our great school. For me, it was clear from early on that the special education we were receiving and the life-long friendships we were developing with our brothers gave us not just an opportunity to serve others and do something meaningful in life… but more importantly gave us the responsibility to do this. That is something I am very conscious of on a very regular basis."

Q. How do you apply the Ignatian values you learned in your daily life?

"To this day, the words of many of the Jesuits at Belen back in the 1980s reminding us that we were Men for Others still ring in my head. I carry the responsibility of serving others – a core tenet of the Ignatian values – with me every day in my business life and in my personal life. Interestingly enough, my best friends to this day are the friends I made while picking up rocks in the Belen field nearly 35 years ago. I believe that those values that were instilled in us at Belen helped us form a special bond that we carry and share to this day."

Q. How do you give back to society?

"I am on the board of the Burger King / McLamore Foundation, whose mission is to make a positive impact in our communities by building brighter futures through education and providing hardship assistance to members of the BURGER KING® family. I contribute to several charitable organizations that I believe in strongly. And, in every position I have held at Burger King Corp., I have made it a point to take on a project that makes a difference in the community where I have lived. For example, while in Zurich, I was moved by the story of John Wood, a former Microsoft executive who gave up his career and large salary and stock options to start a not-for-profit organization named Room to Read. Room to Read builds libraries in underdeveloped communities in Africa, Cambodia, Nepal, and other impoverished nations. The thought that he would take such a significant risk and leave the security of his job to start this project was inspiring. Burger King Corp. now supports

Room to Read in Europe, the Middle East & Africa and in our Asia-Pacific region and the Corporation has contributed more than $1 million to that amazing organization in the last three years. I also encourage my children to give back whenever they see a need. I am happy to say that they, too, have taken the idea of giving back to heart. My daughter, for example, started a project called Let’s Speak English to help the elderly in Switzerland combat Alzheimer’s."

Q. How do you measure success?

"For me, I measure my success by asking the question of myself: 'Am I proud of what I've achieved?' What I have found is that I'm proud of my achievements when I have set an aggressive goal, and when I've worked as hard as possible to achieve it. It takes the same amount of energy to dream big as it does to dream small, so why not dream big!"

Q. What famous words do you live by?

"One of my favorite quotes is from the late John Wooden, the legendary college basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins, considered by many as the greatest Coach in the history of American sports. He said: 'In 1948, I began coaching basketball at UCLA. Each hour of practice we worked very hard. Each day we worked very hard. Each week we worked very hard. Each season we worked very hard. For 14 years we worked very hard and didn’t win a national championship. However, a national championship was won in the 15th year. Another in the sixteenth. And eight more in the following 10 years.' This quote motivates and inspires me every time I read it. Stay hungry. Work hard. Be humble. Do this, and success will follow.”

Q. How will you make a difference in the world?

"If I have served my family, faith and friends well, then I have made a difference in the world."

Vocation to Family Vocation to Marriage announcements

• Cuci Amador and Anthony Laurencio '92

• Vanessa Perdomo and Pepe San Martin '92

• Julie Anne Garcia and Jorge Miranda '93

• Beatriz Matos and Thomas Pla ’00

• Paulette Coronel and Diego Abaroa '07

• Nicole Carter and Anthony Lopez '10

• The Fernandez-Rocha family at the wedding of Sofia Sclafani and James Duffy. Sofia is the granddaughter of Luis FernandezRocha ’56.

• Teri and Jose Roca '84, Belen's Math Chairperson, celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary at Gesu with their children, Melanie, Jose Jr. ’13, and Nicolas ’16. Fr. Eddy Alvarez SJ '63 presided over the vows renewal Mass.

• Aiden Nathaniel, born to Jessica and Henry Triana '90

• Layla Michelle, born to Michelle and Junior Arrojo '91

• Sebastian Xavier, born to Nicole and Lazaro Marcos '92

• Marler Jag and Sloan Mara, born to Stacey and Eric Munoz '96

• Natalia Elena, born to Maria Cristina and Julio Bertemati '99

• Andrew Nicholas, born to Carolina and Raul Montenegro ‘00

• Jianna Alexis, born to Jacky and Javier Valdes ‘01

• Maximus Alexander, born to Danielle and Michael Fenton '02

• Audrey, born to Rachel and Michael Ortiz '02

• Marino Nicolas, born to Mora Brito and Marino Baez '05

• Jacob Alexander, born to Suzette and CJ Flores '05

• Isabella Maria, born to Lisi and Juan Lopez '09

• Manuel Aurelio, born to Danny and Belen Professor Melissa Blanco

RETRACTION

In the last issue we accidentally placed the following announcement for vocation to family in a different section. We apologize for this mistake.

• Ana Sofia Vilaro, great granddaughter of Manuel Anton '50

Memoriam

In loving memory of our alumni friends In

Family and friends announcements

• Francisco Diaz '40

• Augusto A. Rodriguez '40

• Rafael Andino '41

• Juan Jose Peña '42

• Marco Antonio Suarez-Burgos '44

• Juan Rovira '45

• Raul Pielago '46

• Hector Medina ‘47

• Jose Perez Lerena '47

• Francisco Rovirosa '47

• Manuel Via '48

• Francisco Adolfo Ponce de Leon '49

• Carlos T. Ferro '52

• Jose Valle Sabin '52

• Raul Cosio '53

• Luis Menendez Aponte ‘54

• Jorge Porta '54

• Luis Arenas '57

• Oswaldo Hernandez Campos '58

• Federico Lomnitz '58

• Julio Pestonit Perez '59

• Fr. Jose Antonio Esquivel, S.J. '60

• Humberto Lopez Cueto '61

• Carlos J. Arboleya Jr. ‘75

• Rafael Almaguer - Dolores

• Antonio Frean – Dolores

• Leonardo Rodriguez Granda - Dolores

• Cesar Lastra – Sagua

• Marcelino Melendreras - Electromecanica

• Jorge Toro - Electromecanica

In Memoriam

• Nancy Campa, wife of Julio Campa '71

• Ena G. Padilla, wife of Victor Padilla, Jr. '50, grandmother of Carlos V. Lopez '08 and Victor Padilla IV '09

• Marcia Lopez de Mendoza, widow of Victor Lopez de Mendoza '61, mother of Victor Lopez de Mendoza '88 and grandmother of Victor Lopez de Mendoza '17

• Rafael Garcia, son of Juan Garcia ‘71

• Angelica C. Juelle, mother of Carlos A. Juelle '57

• Balbina Comas, mother of Gaston Comas '75 and grandmother of Enrique Comas'10

• Sara Bustamante, mother of Rodrigo Bustamante '76 and grandmother of Rodrigo Bustamante '16

• Alicia Rodriguez, mother of Manuel Rodriguez '82

• Dr. Octavio Carreño, father of Octavio Carreño '83

• Natalia Quiros, mother of Peter Quiros '86

• Dora Cabrera, mother of Jorge Cabrera ’72, grandmother of Jorge M. Cabrera ’15 and aunt of Fr. Eduardo Barrios SJ ’60 and Dolores

• Jose Felipe Cos, father of Jorge Luis Cos '86 and grandfather of Eric Cos '07

• Antonio Franyie Sr., father of Antonio Jr. '86 and Alejandro Franyie '00

• Sergio Artigues, father of Henry Artigues '90

• Francisco Garcia, father of Francisco '00 and Michael A. Garcia '08

• Herminia Corzo Silva, mother of Joshua L. Silva '12

• Laura Cavalieri, mother of Christian Gonzalez '16

• Mikaela Muñoz-Bustamante, daughter of Jorge ’00 and granddaughter of Jorge Muñoz-Bustamante ’69

• Alberto Martin, grandfather of Ariel Fernandez '99

• Aida Eulalia Peña, grandmother of Jesse '95, Danny '96, and Alex Peña '06

• Alberto Gonzalez Santos, grandfather of Alberto Naya ‘13

• Rene Triay, great grandfather of Jose Lopez Varela ‘15

• Barbara Gabis Hagerman, mother of Belen Professor Karen Ortiz

• Juan A. Cambo, father of Belen Professor Miriam Cambo-Martinez

• Francisco Jose del Dago, father of Belen Professor Jose del Dago

• Elaine Butler, mother of Belen Professor Roger Lund

• Neysa Amaro de Cambo, mother of Belen Professor Miriam Cambo Martinez

• Josefina Guzmán-Venet Arrojas, sister of Fr. Francisco Guzman, SJ

Class Notes

Omelio Sosa, our oldest living alumnus, celebrated his 102nd birthday.

Salvador Juncadella received the Daily Business Review Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the legal profession in Florida.

Roberto Borbolla and wife Carmen Rosa visited the Cave of Saint Ignatius in Manresa, Spain.

Rosemarie Hidalgo, daughter of Manuel Hidalgo was named Deputy Director for Policy of the Office on Violence Against Women.

Class members at their monthly luncheon.

Juan Junco and family in Key West Florida. Junco was featured in a recent article in the Daytona Beach News Journal.

Manuel Dominguez reels in a big one with the help of his son, Manuel, Belen Jesuit Class of 2022.

Raul Mas was invested at the Pentagon, as a civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army John McHugh representing Florida.

Francisco de la Camara is now a Managing Director –Investments at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC.

Sergio Gonzalez was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Council of La Raza, the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the US.

Adolfo Jimenez received a lifetime achievement award from the Daily Business Review for his outstanding service to the Florida legal community.

Guillermo Carranza, Orlando J. Casariego, Rodovaldo Rodriguez, MD and

Balbino Vazquez gather for an impromptu reunion in Asturias, Spain.

Monthly reunion at Bougainvilleas.

F. Antonio Puente was named to the 2015 Miami Dade College Alumni Hall of Fame.

Fr. Frank Permuy, SJ celebrated the first-ever stadium Mass at Marlins Park.

Tom Jelke was named Distinguished Alumni Recipient of the 14th Annual FIU Torch Awards.

Emilio Marrero received the 2015 Silver Circle Award given by the Board of Governors of the Suncoast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

'81 '82 '84 '85 '86

Manuel L. Crespo, Jr. is the President of the Cuban American Bar Association.

Class Notes

Alumni and family dedicated a court at the Hogar de Dios Home for Orphan

Haitian Boys in Dajabon in memory of Johnathon Perez ’15, son of Miguel Perez ‘87.

David De Celis presented an exhibition on how architecture can make the arts more visible, relevant, and accessible.

Daniel Borbolla recently launched B&FPS, a local business providing business development services. Javier Borbolla ’66, his father, is the company's Lead Technical Advisor.

Frankie Ruiz was selected by The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) as the 2014 Coach of the Year for the State of Florida.

'10

Tom Llamas was named co-weekend anchor of ABC World News Tonight.

(Photo courtesy of Lorenzo Bevilaqua /ABC)

Alexis Mantecon was named Distinguished Alumni Recipient of the 14th Annual FIU Torch Awards.

Carlos Curbelo was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives as Congressman for Florida's 26th District.

Frank Quesada was re-elected to the City of Coral Gables Commission.

Michael Coronado was recognized as Southwest Airlines’ "Our Star" for the Month of December 2014.

Gregory R. Bel has been named partner at the law firm of Piedra and Associates.

Alejandro Garcia-Tuñon joined the Magic Leap Co.

Eugene Ramirez joined WFLATV News Channel 8 Team in Tampa as a Morning Show Anchor.

'02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '13

Jose Garcia-Tuñon joined the law firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan.

Chris Gueits’ documentary "13 Million Voices" made its World Premiere at the Miami International Film Festival.

Gabriel Suarez graduated from FIU College of Medicine and has joined the Residency program at West Kendall Baptist Hospital.

Nicholas Camargo Ripoll graduated from St. Thomas University School of Law.

David Sotto joined McKinsey & Company as an associate.

Reggie Colas was named the 2014 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Football Player of the Year.

Kieron Williams pictured with his mother, Janet and Mr. Tony Cabrera, Agape Scholarship Committee Member, graduated from FIU

Julian Ballestas, currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan, was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Week for the week of February 24.

DOLORES

Robert Castellvi, son of Pablo Castellvi, nephew of Luis and Jorge Castellvi Dolores and Fernando Casado '59, is a Brigadier General, Commander of the Marine Corps Installations East.

SAGUA

Fr. Marcelino Garcia,SJ received the 2015 Lumen Christi Award by the Catholic Educator’s Guild in a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Wenski at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

GALLERY OF REUNIONS

Alumni from the classes of 1947 through 2014 gathered at the Northern Trust building for the 4th consecutive year. Special thanks to Chief Fiduciary Officer Eastern US Region Edward J. Joyce, Senior Vice President Alex Adams '85, Senior Vice President Debra Incera, and Senior Investment Officer Raul Diaz '88. For more pictures of this and other events, log on to www.belenjesuit.org/AlumniReunions

DELEGATES MEETING

Meet the Board

Standing-Jose A. Garrido III '99, L.J. Rodriguez '93, Alumni Director Mariano Loret de Mola '58, Crescencio Ruiz '76, Thomas Pla '00, Tony Castro '86, Peter Montadas '76 and Ronnie Ramos '58. Sitting-Paco Ruiz '73, Gaby Dieppa '96, Tony Abella '59, Belen President Fr. Pedro A. Suarez, SJ '58, Alumni President Carlos Batlle '80 and Junior Garrido '72. Not pictured: Roberto Colon '04, Hector FormosoMurias '82 and Tico Gutierrez '88.

BALS Election

Javier Perez-Abreu ’78 and Carlos Macias ’05 were elected to the Board of the BALS Section. Pictured here with BALS Chair Demetrio Perez ’94.

The Alumni Board of Directors recognized Ms. Yvonne von der Osten with an Appreciation Award for her unconditional support and unwavering dedication to the Belen Alumni Association, a living example of the Magis, the restless desire for greater things. Thomas Pla '00, Mariano Loret de Mola '58, Yvonne von der Osten, Carlos Batlle '80, and Thomas de Quesada '94.

OF THE SCHOOL PRESIDENT

Dear Alumni,

This year, for the first time in our school 's history, Belen Jesuit has been a participant in a foreign exchange program with the Far East.

Five students from the Jesuit-run St. Ignatius High School in Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan) spent two weeks at Belen attending classes and enjoying some local sightseeing with their respective host families. During their visit, the Belen community had the opportunity to celebrate the Chinese New Year with the presence of Chinese acrobats and musicians. Several dignitaries were also present, among them U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, U.S. Congressman Carlos Curbelo, ’98, Mr. Philip Wang, Director General of Economic and Cultural Affairs of Taiwan in Miami, and many others. In addition, four Belen Jesuit students traveled to Taiwan and spent two weeks attending classes and enjoying the hospitality of our brother school in Taipei.

This student exchange with Taiwan highlights the long relationship that has existed between China and the Jesuits since the 16th century. St. Francis Xavier, after preaching the Gospel in India and Japan, died on Shangchuan Island on his way to China in 1552. The Italian mathematician, scientist, linguist and writer Father Matteo Ricci, S.J. (15521610) immersed himself in the Chinese culture and introduced European knowledge to the Chinese empire. He is greatly respected and revered by the Chinese people even to this day.

Jesuit missionar y Brother and Renaissance painter Giuseppe Castiglione, S.J., taught the Italian painting style to Chinese artists and learned the Oriental techniques, as manifested in his large work “One Hundred Horses”, which is

displayed in Taipei’s National Palace Museum, a silk copy of which was gifted to Belen by the Director General of Taiwan affairs in Miami.

I would like to end my message with a heart-felt tribute to Fr. Juan Manuel Dorta-Duque, S.J., Belen ’40, who dedicated his life to Belen and especially to Belen alumni. He left us to go to the Father’s house on December 4, 2014, at the age of 92.

Fr. Dorta exemplified the ideal of a “man for others”. With his simplicity, sense of humor and total commitment to God, he personified the words of Jesus, who said: “The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23: 11-12.) He saw himself as an announcer of a greater voice, that of Christ. He made his own John the Baptist’s statement: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (Jn 3: 30) and the words of Christ when He said “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” (Mt 20: 28.) By humbly serving other people Fr. Dorta brought joy and peace to people’s hearts and brought them closer to God.

May Fr. Dorta, everyone’s friend, rest in the peace of the Lord whom he served during his earthly life, and may his example inspire each of us to follow Christ by serving one another.

Pedro A. Suárez, SJ ‘ 58 Belen Jesuit School President

Belen Alumni Association of Jesuit Schools from Cuba and Miami Alumni Office

500 Southwest 127 Avenue Miami, Florida 33184

Calendar of events

July

July 3

Monthly alumni mass at Gesu (Noon)

July 18 Annual reunion (Colegio Dolores)

July 31 Feast of St. Ignatius Mass at Gesu

September

Sep. 4

Sep. 11-13

Sep. 18-20

Monthly alumni mass at Gesu (Noon)

Class of 1995 - 20 year reunion

Class of 1990 - 25 year reunion

Sep. 25 Belen vs Columbus Tailgate and Game

Sep. 25-27

Class of 2005 - 10 year reunion

Sep. 25 Monthly alumni luncheon (Noon)

November

Nov. 6

Nov. 7

Nov. 20

Monthly alumni mass at Gesu (Noon)

Annual Belen Gala

Monthly alumni luncheon (Noon)

Nov. 24 Reyes Magis turkey distribution at Gesu

August

Aug. 7

Aug. 8

Aug. 14-16

Aug. 21-23

Aug. 28

October

Oct. 2

Oct. 2-4

Monthly alumni mass at Gesu (Noon)

Class of 2014 - One year reunion

Class of 1955 - 60 year reunion

Class of 2000 - 15 year reunion

Monthly alumni luncheon (Noon)

Monthly alumni mass at Gesu (Noon)

Class of 1965 - 50 year reunion

Oct. 17 Alumni Night

Oct. 23-25

Oct. 30

December

Dec. 4

Dec. 11

Class of 1985 - 30 year reunion

Monthly alumni luncheon (Noon)

Monthly alumni mass at Gesu (Noon)

Monthly alumni luncheon (Noon)

Dec. 19 Reyes Magis toy/gift distribution at Gesu

* All other activities will be announced in the