Belen Jesuit Preparatory School

Together we can accomplish more

Teresa Martinez | Director of Communications
Filled with the desire to help others and the magis, five seniors and their teacher Johnny Calderin ’92, traveled to Puerto Rico from December 7-10 to help with Hurricane Maria relief efforts. 
Hurricane Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico on September 20. Since then, the majority of people on the island have been without electricity, debris remains spread throughout the landscape, and countless number of people are still living in shelters. The Belen Jesuit community immediately jumped into action and raised $25,000 for our brother school, El Colegio San Ignacio in San Juan.
 
“This​ ​trip was​ ​not​ ​something​ ​I​ ​merely​ ​wanted​ ​to do, it​ ​was​ ​something​ ​I​ ​had​ ​to​ ​do,” said Belen Key Club President Robert Lopez-Irizarry. ​ “Since​ ​the storm​ ​hit,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​been​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​maneuver​ ​and​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​get​ ​myself​ ​and​ ​as​ ​many volunteers​ ​to ​Puerto Rico​ ​and​ ​help.” 
 
Angel Noe Aguilar, Lucas Ismael Fernandez, William San Pedro, and Sebastian Rivera joined Lopez-Irizarry and Calderin in personally delivering Belen’s donation to the school. Greeted warmly by the San Ignacio community, our wolverines quickly felt at home and inspired to work. On their first day in Puerto Rico they spent time visiting the school, speaking to students, and discussing ways in which they can help.
 
“I have never been more humbled by a group of students with such passion for service, a service that Puerto Rico so desperately needs,” said Rivera.
 
“The way to rebuild is with passion, inspiration, and hope,” said San Pedro. “I did not encounter one Puerto Rican, whether at San Ignacio or out in the community, that wasn’t excited to move forward and help others.”
 
Working under the direction of the Superior of the Jesuits Father Flavio Bravo, the Belen delegation was introduced to a member of the community who is battling cancer and rebuilding his house.
 
“At​ ​first​ ​reluctant,​ ​Don​ ​Justo​ ​not​ ​only​ ​told​ ​us​ ​his​ ​story​ ​but​ ​more​ ​importantly​ ​trusted​ ​us​ ​enough​ ​to help​ ​him​ ​rebuild​ ​his​ ​home,” said Lopez-Irizarry.​ “He​ ​has​ ​gone​ ​through​ ​so​ ​much,​ ​yet​ ​he​ ​is​ ​facing every​ ​day​ ​like​ ​a​ ​fighter.​ ​Helping him rebuild his roof, set​ ​the​ ​tone​ ​for​ ​the​ ​rest​ ​of​ ​the​ ​trip.”
 
The group spent the entire day clearing debris from his property, learning from him and ultimately helping him nearly complete the reconstruction of his roof.  On the third day the group was paired with a group from OXFAM and tasked with building water filters and distributing them throughout the neighborhood.
 
“We​ ​saw​ ​the​ ​way​ ​people​ ​were​ ​neglected​ ​by​ ​the​ ​FEMA​ ​relief​ ​efforts,” said Lopez-Irizarry.​ “We saw ​how often​ ​times​ ​​poorer​ ​communities​ ​​were​ ​not​ being ​tended​ ​to and​ as​ ​a​ ​whole realized the​ ​stark​ ​difference​ ​in​ ​the​ ​relief​ ​efforts​ ​in​ ​Puerto​ ​Rico​ ​and​ ​the​ ​one​ ​in​ ​Miami after Hurricane Irma.”
 
“The more we interacted with the people in the community, the more I witnessed a spirit of hope and determination,” said San Pedro.
 
With so much work to be done in Puerto Rico the group plans on making another trip to the island in the new year. “The positive thinking and humility of the Puerto Rican people left me in shock,” said Rivera. “I only hope to come back and be able to impact the lives of more families.”
 
“This experience has​ ​shown​ ​me​ ​the​ ​power​ ​of​ ​the​ ​human​ ​spirit, and when​ ​everything​ ​is​ ​seemingly​ ​in​ ​shambles,​ ​people​ ​will​ ​persevere,” said Lopez-Irizarry.​ ​ “I​ ​yearn​ ​​to​ ​go back​ ​and​ ​continue​ ​helping​ ​those in most​ ​need. ​There​ ​is​ ​much​ ​more​ ​to​ ​be​ ​done. ​There​ ​is​ ​more​ ​money​ ​to​ ​be​ ​raised,​ ​there are more filters​ ​to​ ​be​ ​installed,​ ​more​ ​homes​ ​to​ ​be​ ​rebuilt,​ ​and​ ​more​ ​love​ ​to​ ​be​ ​spread.​ ​If​ ​we​ ​come​ ​together we​ ​can​ ​accomplish​ ​more.”

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BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
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.