Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is an all-male, Roman Catholic, preparatory school in Miami, Florida, operated by the Society of Jesus. It was established in Havana, Cuba, by the Jesuits in 1854, but moved to the United States after the communist government of Fidel Castro, himself an alumnus, took power and expelled the Jesuits. It has since made the Cardinal Newman Society's honor roll. The name Belen is Spanish for "Bethlehem."HistoryIn CubaIn 1854, Queen Isabella II of Spain issued a royal charter founding the "Colegio de Belén" in Havana. The school took its name from the building it occupied at its founding, the former convent and convalescent hospital of Our Lady of Belen. Over time, the school expanded through the donation of several nearby buildings in Havana. The resulting complex became known as "El Palacio de Educación" (The Palace of Education). "El Palacio" now houses the Instituto Técnico Militar (Military Technical Institute).A meteorological observatory was established in 1857. A facility was built in 1896.
"Following the Ignatian tradition of excellence, the mission of Belen Jesuit as a Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school is to guide and support our students in their process of becoming men who are proficient in both English and Spanish, open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice, so they can work as leaders for the defense of the faith and the promotion of justice in a multicultural society.Since its inception, over 7,500 young men have graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. We are a college preparatory institution, with 100% of our graduates advancing to post-secondary education."
