Arroyo Quad coming soon to school
As the completion of the aquatic center approaches, a new opportunity presents itself for Belen Jesuit.
Included in the planning is the necessary demolition of the old pool. While it served Belen well, helping crown it with various state championships in swimming, and water polo, and as a centerpiece for physical education and summer camp, the open space will now provide much needed greenery for the school community.
“Arroyo Quad will serve as an opportunity to recognize the many Jesuit priests and brothers who were missioned to the Miami campus and have passed on to their heavenly reward,” said Jesuit Father Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J.’87. “The list is composed of a rich variety of men who hailed from all parts of the world: Spaniards like Fr. José Maria Izquierdo (aka the Shadow) and Br. José Arrieta, Cubans like Fr. Jorge Sardiña and Fr. Luís Ripoll, and Americans like Fr. William Kidwell (New Orleans Province) and Fr. Tom Robinson (New York Province). What they held in common was their surrender to the mission of the Society of Jesus and their thirst for educating young men in the rich tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola.”
Arroyo Quad is named in memory of Jesuit Father Felipe Arroyo who taught at the Colegio de Belén in Havana from 1944-1947 and again from 1954-1961 as spiritual counselor and as principal. In 1961, he came to Miami to help establish Belen Jesuit but left for another assignment until his return in 1971, where he served as both president and principal (1972-1974; 1978-1980) and as president (1974-1978).
In line with the extraordinary enterprise of our new aquatic center, architect Johnny Medina ’77, has designed a green space that will not only be practical, but add beauty to the campus. The rich combination of trees, shrubs, and the intersection of paved pathways that lead to the bronzed image of St. Ignatius, flanked with a memorial engraved with the names of the Jesuits, will make for an extraordinary, spiritual space.
“I was inspired by the Garden of Gethsemane for the design of the park,” said Medina. “The park will have a round small truncated column with a 14” statue of the Virgin Mary. She will become our Miami version of La Virgen del Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain. My hope is that this garden will be a place where generations of alumni will come to celebrate Belen’s rich history and honor those priests that served the school.”
A special mention should be made of the concrete memorial that will encase the image of our founder. When construction began on the aquatic center, before the first major pour of cement, Medina insisted that a trial run be made to assure that the walls of the pool area were flawless. The initial pour created an angled structure that was a little less than perfect. Not being good enough for the pool, it was quickly rejected and the next pour perfected. The imperfect piece was placed off to the side, waiting to be hauled off and thrown away. Then came an idea.
“Arroyo Quad will serve as an opportunity to recognize the many Jesuit priests and brothers who were missioned to the Miami campus and have passed on to their heavenly reward,” said Jesuit Father Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J.’87. “The list is composed of a rich variety of men who hailed from all parts of the world: Spaniards like Fr. José Maria Izquierdo (aka the Shadow) and Br. José Arrieta, Cubans like Fr. Jorge Sardiña and Fr. Luís Ripoll, and Americans like Fr. William Kidwell (New Orleans Province) and Fr. Tom Robinson (New York Province). What they held in common was their surrender to the mission of the Society of Jesus and their thirst for educating young men in the rich tradition of St. Ignatius of Loyola.”
Arroyo Quad is named in memory of Jesuit Father Felipe Arroyo who taught at the Colegio de Belén in Havana from 1944-1947 and again from 1954-1961 as spiritual counselor and as principal. In 1961, he came to Miami to help establish Belen Jesuit but left for another assignment until his return in 1971, where he served as both president and principal (1972-1974; 1978-1980) and as president (1974-1978).
In line with the extraordinary enterprise of our new aquatic center, architect Johnny Medina ’77, has designed a green space that will not only be practical, but add beauty to the campus. The rich combination of trees, shrubs, and the intersection of paved pathways that lead to the bronzed image of St. Ignatius, flanked with a memorial engraved with the names of the Jesuits, will make for an extraordinary, spiritual space.
“I was inspired by the Garden of Gethsemane for the design of the park,” said Medina. “The park will have a round small truncated column with a 14” statue of the Virgin Mary. She will become our Miami version of La Virgen del Pilar in Zaragoza, Spain. My hope is that this garden will be a place where generations of alumni will come to celebrate Belen’s rich history and honor those priests that served the school.”
A special mention should be made of the concrete memorial that will encase the image of our founder. When construction began on the aquatic center, before the first major pour of cement, Medina insisted that a trial run be made to assure that the walls of the pool area were flawless. The initial pour created an angled structure that was a little less than perfect. Not being good enough for the pool, it was quickly rejected and the next pour perfected. The imperfect piece was placed off to the side, waiting to be hauled off and thrown away. Then came an idea.
Inspired by the words of Psalm 118, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (22), Medina went on to declare that the first poured structure would serve as the foundation stone for the park that would carry proudly the names of these sons of Ignatius. How fitting. Just as Jesus referred to these words of the psalm to speak of himself (Matthew 21:42), they can also be applied not only to Ignatius, but to the millions of Jesuits, who throughout the years, have worked hard to do all things for God’s greater glory.
Belen Jesuit and its priests and brothers share a similar reality. Rejected in 1961 by an oppressive government that forcefully marched these men through the streets of Havana and closed the doors of Belen, they rose from the ashes and became one of the educational cornerstones of Miami.
“We have incorporated the cornerstone into our lives as a reminder of how much God can do with brick and mortar,” said Medina. Arroyo Quad is one way that we can remember with great love and affection these men who gave birth and life to Belen Jesuit. This park is a testament to their vocations and a fitting tribute to their work. Belen Jesuit embrace the words of Sir Isaac Newton who exclaimed that, “if we have seen further, it is because we stand on the shoulders of giants!”
Help make Arroyo Quad a reality by contributing to this campus enhancement. Contact the Office of Advancement to make your contribution at 786-621-4665 or email advancement@ belenjesuit.org.
(This article was originally published in the 2016-17 President's Report. The article was updated to reflect the new name given to Jesuit Park - Arroyo Quad)
Belen Jesuit and its priests and brothers share a similar reality. Rejected in 1961 by an oppressive government that forcefully marched these men through the streets of Havana and closed the doors of Belen, they rose from the ashes and became one of the educational cornerstones of Miami.
“We have incorporated the cornerstone into our lives as a reminder of how much God can do with brick and mortar,” said Medina. Arroyo Quad is one way that we can remember with great love and affection these men who gave birth and life to Belen Jesuit. This park is a testament to their vocations and a fitting tribute to their work. Belen Jesuit embrace the words of Sir Isaac Newton who exclaimed that, “if we have seen further, it is because we stand on the shoulders of giants!”
Help make Arroyo Quad a reality by contributing to this campus enhancement. Contact the Office of Advancement to make your contribution at 786-621-4665 or email advancement@ belenjesuit.org.
(This article was originally published in the 2016-17 President's Report. The article was updated to reflect the new name given to Jesuit Park - Arroyo Quad)
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.