Connecting with Chile and Bolivia

HISTORY OF THE AGREEMENT

INTRODUCTION

To remember the events of past years as well as looking into a process of improving relationships between the Maryland and Chilean Provinces, we offer here an abreviated history. The first part was written by Fr. John F. Henry, SJ, first Rector of the Colegio San Mateo, who some years ago wrote about what happened with the first Maryland Jesuits in Osorno up to the year 1965 when he finished his term as Rector.

The second part deals with the development of the Colegio San Matero and the relationships of the two Provinces after 1965, and in particular with the history of the "Agreements" of 1971 and 1986. The sources of this section were the Archives of the Chilean Province where there are much of the correspondence, photographs and booklets. An important source was the HISTORIA DEL COLEGIO SAN MATEO DE OSORNO (1960 A 1989), a research project of the Chilean Juniors in 1990 under the direction of Fr. Sergio Elizalde, SJ. Finally, to confirm dates the Province Catalogs were used.

THE FIRST YEARS

With the desire to recall my forty years in Chile I went to my records to read the numerous letters to different Provincials of Maryland during my term as Rector of the Colegio San Mateo (1959-1965). It has been a wonderful experience. My Provincial was far away in Maryland and I had many problems. Furthermore I was only 35 years old, withough experience as superior and Rector of a Colegio. My knowledge of the culture and language was minimal.

At that time letters were my only method of communication with Maryland (We formed a separate Region within the Chilean Province). Las cartas fueron mi único medio de comunicación con Maryland. (Formamos una región separada de la Provincia Chilena). Telephoen service was awful. And now, reading my letters after so many years, I experience a profound feeling of consolation. The "First Father", six young gringo Jesuits, sent for a lifetime on a difficult mission, were able to overcome great challenges. However, with the help of Divince Providence and an excellent community life we were able to found an important work. The Bishop, Mons. Francisco Valdes Subercaseaux, presented us with the challenge: to put a soul en the cold city of Osorno. Recently, the brother of the Bishop, Senator Gabriel Valdes, told me that the Colegio had met this challenge.

I will now proceed to point out some of the great challenges for the pioneers of 40 years ago:

THE CONTRACT: The holy Bishop did not want to sign a contract which the Maryland Provincial had sent with some months of anticipation. The Mission was in danger. For that reason I was sent first with Fr. Johnn Lenny, who had already made two visits to Osorno and was the agent for this Mission. At the end of some weeks the Bishop promised to sign the contract once he had arranged some business with the Fathers of the Divine Word with respect to the former building of the Instituto San Mateo and the site that belonged to the parish. This was the green light for the other Missioners quo arrived the 16th of October in 1959. Finally, the 25th of December the Bishop signed the contract.

LIVING QUARTERS: We lived at different times in three old wooden housed during these first years. The first house belonged to Caritas with its storage rooms of flour and cheese. We shared this house with fat rats. We endured the lack of heating, but thanks to electric blankets we slept peacefully. The third house had a living room with a fire place which became our place for prayer, for recreation and for class preparation. Life was not easy.

CLIMATE: During the first month in Osorno it rained 12 days without stopping. In one letter I wrote: "7 of Sepotember,1961 - SUN !" Teaching classed with an overcoat was a novelty, but the sawdust stoves served us well. But in another letter I wrote that there was a drought between October, 1962, and March of 1963.

ILLNESSES: I suffered from "chilenitis" the first month. (I had to leave Mass in the Cathedral one Sunday ...the only time in my life). Brother Cipres helped me to recover with a household remedy in the San Ignacio residence. Hepatitis struck Fr. Haske the second month of class, and so we were left without our Minister, Prefect of Discipline and professor of Latin and Homeroom teacher for the first year of Humanities. He got up with the earthquake.

EXPERIMENTAL PLAN OF STUDIES: We arroved with an Esperimentl Plan for Studies. The Minister of Education, the father of Jesuit Raul Cereceda, had given an oral approval, but afterwards we never received formal approval. We had a lot of help from Gustavo Arteaga and Jorge Gonzalez. However, the Maryland Provincial insisted on keeping Latin in the curriculum. After five years a new Provinaial gave us permission to drop it from the curriculum.

SITE FOR THE NEW COLEGIO: The Maryland Jesuits who had the first contacts in Osorno thought that the actual site was not big enough for the new colegio building. So it was, in the first days, I visited various available sites and we almost landed with a site beside the new boarding school of the Colegio Aleman in Pilauco, two blocks from the Plaza de Armas. We made an offer to Corvi for the sale of our site. But thanks to the wisdom of a group of advisors we ended up with the actual site.

THE LANGUAGE: The language was also a great challenge. Our two month course at Georgetown was very poor. The three regents spoke it quite well, and the youngest, Barry Boyle, was the best. On arrival in Osorno we had language classes every day with Fr. José Doemakes, former Provincial of the Divine Word Fathers. He spoke better English than Spanish, but was a great friend for those first days. After orty years the language continues to be a challenge for me. I still learn new things. The word "loan" really means "gift", and "perhaps" means "No".

RELIGIOUS SISTERS: After some months trying to teach the children of the grade schools we began to fervently pray, asking God to send us some teaching Sisters. McNamara and O'Neil took the first courses of the grade school (of this course there are six physicians and a future Transport Minister), Boyle and Nugent had the fifth and sixth grades, and I was the English teacher for the third grade. The first group of Sisters was a disaster, but three lay volunteers, from the "Papal Volunteer" group, were our salvation until the arrival of the Immaculate Sisters of Villa Maria.

A MODERN COLEGIO: To change a small parrochial school, poor both in facilities and academically, into a modern Colegio after the model of the "Prep" of Philadelphia and Scranton was our hope. Each year a regent went to theologia in San Miguel (Argentina) and I had to fight for replacements while the Colegio grew. The Provincial visited us in 1960 and the message was: "Patience". The new regents, Lo Biondo, Burton and Capizzi each year began new extracurricular acivities like the Scouts, the musical group "Los Blue Flash", a magazine for the Colegio and a Youth Club for other Colegios of the city. Sports were very important for both students and Jesuits.

OTHER OFFERS: We received many informal offers to take up other works: the Colegio in Chillan or Puerto Montt, or the University of the North. The Rector of the Universidad Austral of Valdivia invited us to open an experimental Colegio attached to their University.

FIRST DAY OF CLASS: on March 30 of 1960 we took on some 260 young boys of six grammar school grades and the first year of Humanities.

THE EARTHQUAKE: On the 22 of May, 1960, we experienced our first earthquake, with a force of Grade 8,5 that lasted three minutes. Our wooden house shook and was at a point of falling on us in the patio. Everything in the house fell down and the windows opened. One wall caught fire and fell on the neighboring house, but not on Barry Boyle's room. I still shake on the secon floor of any wooden house and I sit next to the exit door at the movies. Without water, light, and with smaller shaking for many weeks. Mother Aileen, a wonderful friend from Villa Maria, sent us blankets and parkas for each member of the community. The parishes and schools of Maryland sent 70,000 pounds of clothing, food and ten thousand dollars for help of the suffering people. In one letter I mentioned one of the earthquake jokes: "Did your house suffer much ?" "No, it fell down immediately."

CELEBRACIONES: The 15th of August in 1962 was the day of the final Vows of Henry Haske, and also the 25th year of Frank Nugent in the Society. On this occasion we had supper with friends in the Hotel Osorno. The custom continued and aat the end of we had a feast in the Club Osorno.inalizamos el año con una comida en el Club Osorno. There were celebrations of ordinations and farewell parties, all with the company of the Parents Association.

CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW COLEGIO: The building of the new school was a great adventure. Thanks to Fr. Ruperto Lecaros we contracted the same arquitect who designed the Colegio San Ignacio, El Bosque, Alberto Piwonka. Gracias al P. Ruperto Lecaros contratamos al mismo arquitecto del Colegio San Ignacio, El Bospue, Alberto Piwonka. I have letter upon letter to the Maryland Provincial about so many problems: approval of the plans, estimated cost, available funds, type of contract with the building firm, EESCA, etc. The building cost a little more than $us 300,000.00. We had loans from a bank and from Corvi (by reasonn of the earthquake) which was pardoned afterwards. We also had local fund-raising but the greatest help came from the United States. Prior to beginning construction we had to move fifty poor families who had taken over the location years prior to this. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, a little money for each family and a new location for them, we solved the problem.

INCULTURATION: Assigned to live our lives out in Chile we threw ourselves into the culture as well as making our own contribution to the local culture. We used clerical garb (forbidden by some bishops) and at times the habit. Barry Boyle was the Master of Ceremonies for the Bishop. We formed a good basketball team of priests and scholastics (with uniforms from Scranton University). We ended up second in the league with the police, teachers and teams from Rahue and Rio Negro, etc. Nugent and Boyle went to the Catholic University in Valparaiso during the summers to obtain Chilean teaching titles. The Regents went to San Miguel in Argentina for theology and were ordained in Osorno by Monseñor Valdes.

SOCILA SERVOCE: From the very beginning the marginal sectors were our concern. Nugent worked in a marginal sector and celebrated Mass in the prison. Kownacki was a teacher at the Institute of Popular Education and worked a lot with the marginal sector near to the Colegio. We offered scholarships to our poorer students. Gene Barber was the grand apostle of social integration in the Colegio with his summer school for the better students of local public schools. We began to send our students to work in the poorer sectors. Later on I studied in ILADES and tried to do something in socail work in the diocese and the Colegio. Gene Barber, a regent and I went to live in one of the poorer areas of the city.

APRIL 26, 1965, INAUGURATION OF THE NEW BUILDING: This was a great occasion for the city. Among the authorities present there were the Papal Nuncio, Bishop Valdes and his brother, Gabriel, who was Minister of Foreign Relations, Ralph Dungan, Ambassador of the United States (an alumnus of St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia), Daniel Barria, great friend from the first days ans Subsecretary of Agriculture, the Governor Eric Lausen and the Mayor René Soriano, the two congressmen, Dr. Julio Montt and our lawyer, Manuel Bórquez. Barria, Lausen, Bórque and Montt were members of the first Board of Trustees of the Colegio. In addition from the United States, in representation of the Maryland Provincial, Fr. Richard Kenna was present. He was in charge of the Mission Bureau in the Maryland Province and later a missionary in India. And, of course, there were many Jesuits from Puerto Montt and Santiago.

During the ceremonty, transmitted by radio, our theologians from San Miguel arrived, McNamara, O'Neill and Boyle. In the afternoon we had a concert by the Polyphonic Chorus of Osorno and an oratorical display by our students from Jesuit Colegios. And so ended the great days of my life ! We increased to 450 students in twelve sections. In 1985 there were 1250 students in San Mateo.

NEW RESIDENCE: On the 10th of June, 1965, we moved to our new residence on the third floor of the Colegio. The residence had thirteen large bedrooms, a modern chapel, a large dining hall and a community room blessed with a fireplace and a great view of the Volcán Osorno. A new feature was central heating. Finally, on December 10th of that year we had our first graduation, ten students, and their homeroom teacher during six years had been Henry Haske.

COLEGIO SAN MATEO
1965-2004

On December 26, 1965, Fr. Henry Haske, SJ, was installed as Rector of the Colegio San Mateo. He replaced Father Henry, and at the same time there were changes in the structure of the Jesuit Community. Father Nugent assumed the tasks of the Father Minister and Father Henry replaced Father Haske as Prefect of Discipline. However, all continued with their teaching chores of Latin, Greek, English, etc. At this time Fr. Joseph McCloskey and Br. William Sudzina arrived to keep the community of seven Jesuits.

With five Regents the community increased to eleven Jesuits and in 1968, with the arrival of Fr. Eugene Barber and Br. Thomas Kretz there were thirteen members of the community in San Mateo, the largest number of Maryland Jesuits to work in Osorno. Ordained priest in 1965 and having finished his studies of theology in San Miguel, Fr. Boyle returned to the United States where he made his Tertianship and, after obtaining the degree of Master in Educational Administration, returned once more to Chile in 1970. In San Mateo he assumed the position of Prefect of Studies while Fr. Haske continued as religious superior of the Jesuit community. With the departure of Br. Kretz in 1969, Br. John Fladd and Fr. Eugene Rooney arrived in Osorno, the latter to assume the task of organizing the school library as part of a sabbatical year. The same year Fr. John Henry departed for Santiago to live in the Colegio San Ignacio (AO) where he had responsibilities in the Pastoral Department of the Colegio and collaborated in the work of FIDE while teaching religion in the Colegio.

The drastic changes in the juridical structure of the Maryland Jesuits occurred in 1970 while Fr. Haske was Rector of the Colegio San Mateo. For a long time it was understood that the situation was difficult where a community of Jesuits of one Province (Maryland) was working within he territory of another Province (Chile), especially since the Jesuits in San Mateo were receiving all their support and instructions from the United States and rendered an accounting to that Province. The "Agreement" was the first step in the definitive transfer of the Colegio San Mateo to the Chilean Province. This occurred when, due to the educational policies taken by the government of President Salvador Allende, the private colegios were headed to greater supervision by the government. There was some fear for the future of the Colegio San Mateo which, being an institution maintained by foreigners, could have greater problems as well as concern for the security of the Jesuits of the United States. There was a good deal of correspondence between Fr. Haske and the Provincial at the time, Fr. Manuel Segura, as well as letters exchanged between Fr. Segura and the Maryland Provincial, Fr. James L. Connor, S.J. In 1971 for the first time the Osorno community appeared within the Chilean Province Catalog and not on the last page as had been the custom. To further the project Fr. Haske returned to the United States and Fr. Carlos Aldunate took over as Rector of the Colegio San Mateo. At the same time Fr. Bernanrd Boyle continued as Director and Prefect of Studies as he had during the Rectorship of Fr. Haske.

Of a single page the first "Agreement" was signed by the two Provincials on the 31st of December, 1970. The Maryland Province committed itself to a contunued relationship with the Chilean Province, including the desire of maintaining ten Jesuits in the apostolates of that Province. An agreement was made to continue support for scholarships, The Carroll Scholarship Foundation, with a donation of $us17,800 annually for the following ten years. At the same time the Chilean Province hoped to begin a scholarship program for the poorer students. The Maryland Province also promised an annual support of $us40,000.00 for an indefinite period as a support for whatever project the Colegio San Mateo was to initiate. All of these agreements had the approval of Fr. General Pedro Arrupe.

At this time all of the Maryland Jesuitas were appllied to the Chilean Province, including John Henry who was living at the Colegio San Ignacio (AO) and Eugene Rooney who began to live in the San Ignacio residence as he started to work on the organization of the Province Library, Biblioteca San Ignacio. In addition to the departure of Henry Haske, in 1972 John Henry returned to the U.S. to study theology at Woodstock of New York and then he was named pastor and superior of Saint Ignatius Church in 1974, where he ramained until the end of 1978 when he returned to Chile to begin his apostolate in Arice in 1979. Moreover that year Leonel Ibacache came to San Mateo as the first Chilean Jesuit teacher after the "Twinning".

In 1973 Fr. Gerald Ftizpatrick came to Osorno to assume the tasks of Fr. Minister in the community and teacher of mathematics in the Colegio. As 1974 opened Fr. Gustavo Arteaga arrived as teacher of philosophy. That year the community continued with four Fathers from Maryland, Frs. Boyle, Barber, Fitzpatrick and Kownacki, with two regents and the Rector to form a community of eight. The following year Frs. Leichtle and Hurtado arrived, but Frs. Boyle and Arteaga left as well and the two regents. Fr. Boyle was named Prefect of Studies in San Luis of Antofagasta during the rectorship of Fr. Renato Hasche who was also teaching theology at the Universidad del Norte. In March of 1976 Fr. Boyle returned to Osorno as Rector and Prefect of Studies in the Colegio San Mateo, returning the former system of administration. It was also in 1976 that Fr. Fernando Salas arrived to help Fr. Barber in the pastoral of the Colegio. Afterwards, in 1977, only three from Maryland remained in San Mateo, Frs. Boyle, Barber and Kownacki, joined to the Chilean Frs. Salas and Leichtle. Fr. Fitzpatrick left for Santiago to live in the Colegio Maximo and work in the promotion of vocations, formerly the apostolate of Fr. Chris Wall. Little by little the Maryland Jesuits moved to other apostalates within the Chilean Province and in that year Frs. Hosey, Fitzpatrick, Kelley and Rooney all lived and worked in different apostolates in Santiago, while Fr. Kaminski was assigned to parrochial work in Arica.. rick y Rooney y en Arica el P. Kaminski. With the passing of years different Maryland men has apostolates in Arica, a marked change from the Osorno apostolate. Over the years the Frs. Kaminski, Desjardins, Gavin, Hosey, Barber and Henry served in the City of Eternal Spring, with the last two mentioned still serving in the fine apostolates of the Center of Ignatian Spirituality and the Religious Dance groups, though these are only a part of their work.

Through the initiative of Fr. James Collins the program of "discernimie" was started in Santiago. The program helped in the "union of hearts" in which Maryland Jesuits living in Santiago and those visiting from other cities could get together, solve all the problems of the Society, the Province and the world while deciding where to go for supper. This took place in the Biblioteca San Ignacio until 1985 and then other arrangements were made according to the disposition of the men involved. The program was subsidized by the Maryland Province with the approval of Chilean Provincials beginning with Juan Ochagavia. It also took in picnics prior to the Chilean Province jornadas in the summer when all the Maryland Jesuits were in the area. In like manner to cultivate the union of hearts and exchanges of news and events a small publication called LA PRENSA was started up in 1970. The newsletter later became CHILE REPORT TODAY, with distribution from Roland Avenue as well as locally in Chile, being a help for veterans of work in Chile to inform and keep up their interest as well as to cultivate the sense of community despite distances.

The varios "Convenios" or "Agreements" in the past have helped the Maryland Jesuits to find a diversity of apostolates in Chile with the assistance of the Chilean Provincial. A number of Marylanders who made their regency in Osorno have returned to Chile to experience this diversity of apostolate offerings. Fr. William Kelley returned to work in parishes of Santiago and Fr. James Hosey worked in the Santa Cruz parish of Santiago and later in Arica. Fr. John Swope came back to assist Fr. Patricio Cariola in CIDE and later to assume the position of Director of this project as well as various pastoral projects.

Among those returning was Fr. Thomas Gavin, first helping for a short while in Arica and later serving for many years as teacher and Rector of San Mateo in Osorno. He then moved to Padre Hurtado as superior and director of the Loyola Retreat house, directing many different types of retreats including those of 30 days. Fr. Frank Kaminski also returned, first to Arica for pastoral work and then to Santiago as Vice-superior of one of the scholastic residences while directing the CVX program for University students.

Fr. Michael Desjardins made his regency in Santiago and, returning as a priest, served in a variety of apostolates, as teacher, vicario in Arica, and finally Socius to the Master of Novices before returning to the United States for a short while before going to Russia where he remains as the Master of Novices in Siberia.Fr. Gaspar Lo Biondo returned to study in ILADES and work in Santiago and Rancagua, but following on the Coup d'Etat of 1973 returned to the United States for studies in economics. Fr. James Stormes also made his regency in Santiago and afterwards held the position of Director of the International Apostolate while serving as Socius to the Maryland Provincial, and in that position in constant contact with Chile through visits and correspondence.

The Frs. Henry Haske and Frank Nugent also served as directors of the Maryland International Apostolate and often visited Chile in that position. Nugent tambien fueron directores del posteriores. Fr. Donald Ward did not make his regency in Chile, but during different periods served in a variety of apostolates in Santiago and Osorno.

When Fr. Boyle finished his term as Rector in 1982 Fr. Fernando Salas was named Rector until 1988. It was during his Rectorship that a new "Twinning Agreement" was signed by the Provincials. At the time there some ten Marylanders were living and working in Chile in apostolates under the guidance of the Chilean Provincial. Following on the first "Twinning Agreement" in 1970 the Provincials, during the '80s, thought it appropriate to formulate a new arrangement according to the circumstances of the times. Fr. Cristian Brahm of Chile and Fr. James Devereux of Maryland would now use the term "Twinning" and gradually formulated the agreement during 1985. On the part of Maryland Fr. Henry Haske, Socius of the Provincial and in charge of the International Apostolate, helped constantly with the correspondence and formulation of the agreement. With the approval of Father General, Fr. Devereux sent a letter to the Maryland Jesuits with the text of the "Twinning Agreement" in May of 1986. As with the previous "Agreement" the document would have a term of three years after which an evaluation would be made for renewal or changes.

From that time there were not mancy changes: each Province made an effort to assist its "Twin" according to its possibilities. From 1986 until 1995 there was a group of some ten Maryland Jesuits with apostolates in Chile, but with only two or three available for the Osorno apostolate. In the '90s the number of the Maryland Jesuits working in Chile went down, and 1997 was the last year when a Marylander worked in Osorno. At the present moment there are only three Marylanders working in Chile and the future appears bleak for having more present, except for the possible return of Fr. Gavin.

From the Chilean Province many young Jesuits have come to the United States during the '80s and '90s, usually for study or for the regency period. The first to arrive at Genrgetown and study at the Lado Institute were Eduardo Ponce and Felipe Berrios in 1985, studying English before regency in Africa where the lengua franca of Jesuit community life was English. In 1987 Felipe Denegri arrived for the study of English before theology in Weston, and Nelso Barrientos prior to his studies of theology in Spain. Eugenio Valenzuela arrived at Georgetown in 1988; Guillermo Baranda and Jorge Costadoat in 1989. In 1991 Paul Mackenzie arrived in the States but to study English at Marquette in Wisconsin. After that the Chilean scholastics went to different Jesuit Universities for their English study, as in St. Joseph's of Philadelphia, Wheeling of West Virginia, Marquette in Wisconsin, etc. Luis Roblero and Eduardo Silva would study English in Creighton of Nebraska, and Pablo Concha, Pablo Castro and Jorge Ramirez studied at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

In addition to those studying English Daniel Concha and Juan Ignacio Sepulveda made their regency in Maryland high schools. More recently Fr. Jaime Guzman left for Wernersville with the hope of helping there for a period as Minister of the house.

After Fr. Salas finished his term as Rector in San Mateo the Rectors were Fr. Juan Miguel Leturia (1988-1989), Fr. Raúl Combes (1989-1991, Vice Rector), Fr. Thomas Gavin (1991-1996), Fr. Alejandro Pizarro (1996-2003), and the present Rector, Fr. Juan Pablo Cárcamo.

As for the buildings of the Colegio San Mateo, Fr. Boyle directed the building of the grade school section, and that was followed by the other buildings: Gynnasium (1975), Gymnasium "First Fathers", Art building, new Gymnasium after the fire of the first (1988) the multi-purpose Casino and the recent Kinter and Pre-Kinter building.

Rectores:
P. Henry 1959-1965
P. Haske 1965-1971
P. Aldunate 1971-1976
P. Boyle 1 March 1976-1982
P. Salas 8 March 1982-1988
P. Leturia 7 March 1988-1989
P.Combes (Vice-Sup) 16 Junio 1989-1991
P.Gavin 1 March 1991-1996
P. Pizarro 20 Dic. 1996-2003
P. Cárcamo 20 May 2003-