St. Matthew's College, Chile

St. Matthew's College (Spanish: Colegio San Mateo) is a private Catholic secondary school, located in Osorno, in the Los Lagos Region of Chile. The school was founded by the Society of the Divine Word in 1932 as the Institute of St. Matthew. The current school is part of the Ignatian Educational Network of Chile and the Latin American Federation of the Society of Jesus (FLACSI).

St. Matthew's College
Spanish: Colegio San Mateo
Location
Map
,
Chile
Coordinates40°34′53″S 73°7′36″W / 40.58139°S 73.12667°W / -40.58139; -73.12667
Information
Former nameInstitute of St. Matthew
TypePrivate secondary school
Religious affiliation(s)Catholicism
DenominationJesuit
Patron saint(s)Matthew (apostle)
Established1932; 92 years ago (1932)
FounderSociety of the Divine Word
Teaching staff62[1]
GradesPre-K through secondary
GenderCo-educational
Enrollment1,142[1][better source needed]
Campus5.7 hectares (14 acres)
PublicationEl Cultrún
Affiliations
Websitewww.sanmateo.cl

History

edit

The first school in Osorno, which was named San Mateo and was founded in 1835, is the oldest historical antecedent of the current school that the Sanmateans record. However, the little school had an ephemeral life, because it closed after two years, destroyed by the earthquake of November 1837. A half century later, in 1890, it reopened under the direction of the Fr. Francisco Bohle, but there is no data to confirm that it was in continuity with the original San Mateo.

The missionaries of the Society of the Divine Word took over direction of the school in 1913, when it acquired the name of the German Liceo de Osorno. A fire reduced it to ashes in 1927 and five years later, in 1932, it reopened its doors as the Institute of St. Matthew at the same address on Mackenna Street. In 1958 the German priests of the Divine Word communicated to Bishop Francisco Valdés Subercaseaux that they could not continue running San Mateo. He asked the Jesuits to take charge which they did. In 1959 John Henry, Henry Haske, Joseph O'Neill, Frank Nuggent, James Mc Namara, and Bernard Boyle came from the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus in the United States.

After the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, John Henry became director and the school was now called St. Matthew College. The Jesuits opened a new building in April 1965 on Barros Arana Street. They also undertook to integrate poorer children from the city and from rural areas, with money received from Maryland. In 1981 the primary school was located at Wenceslao Ramos Street. The three divisions, preschool, primary, and secondary, currently occupy 11 acres and 3 acres respectively.

Though male from its founding, San Mateo began admitting girls in 2005.[citation needed] In 2010 it became a private educational establishment and in 2011 stopped receiving a state subsidy, although it grants scholarships to needy students.[citation needed]

Rectors

edit

The following individuals have served as rectors of St Matthew's College:

Ordinal Officeholder Term start Term end Time in office Notes
1 Fr. John Henry, SJ 1960 1965 4–5 years [2]
2 Fr. Henry Haske, SJ 1966 1968 1–2 years
3 Fr. Bernard Boyle, SJ 1969 1974 4–5 years
4 Fr. Carlos Hurtado, SJ 1975 1975 0 years
5 Fr. Carlos Aldunate, SJ 1975 1975 0 years
Fr. Bernard Boyle, SJ 1976 1981 4–5 years Cumulative time in office is c. 9 years[2]
6 Fr. Fernando Salas, SJ 1982 1987 4–5 years [2]
7 Fr. Juan Miguel Leturia, SJ 1988 1988 0 years In 2005, Leturia was found guilty of sexual abuse during his time as rector[3]
8 Fr. Thomas Gavin, SJ 1989 1996 6–7 years [2]
9 Fr. Alejandro Pizarro, SJ 1997 2003 5–6 years
10 Fr. Juan Pablo Cárcamo, SJ 2003 2009 5–6 years
11 José Reyes Santelices 2009 2014 4–5 years
12 Alejandro Aguirre Moraga 2015 incumbent 8–9 years

Noyable alumni

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "San Mateo". Latin American Federation of the Society of Jesus. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "Chile: New rector in San Mateo College of Osorno". CVX Chile. 16 October 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  3. ^ "Former rector of the San Mateo School of Osorno convicted of sexual abuse". Soy Chile. 22 December 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2013.