"Watchman, what of the night?" (Is. 21:11)

50 years FIC Brothers in Chile

In 1953 it all began in quite a simple and unpretentious way in an unspectacular parish school in Talca, some 250 km south of Santiago.

The first six Dutch brothers were confronted with a group of pupils from poor, often broken homes, barefooted, in torn and soiled clothes. Lacking proficiency in the native Spanish language, without any insight into the life and customs of the people and not understanding the Christianity of the poor, they started, in a Dutch way, to combat the (religious) ignorance of the youth.

Everything was "made in Holland": translation of the religious education method "With Burning Hearts", Dutch inkwells, pens, exercise books and even the chalk.

The infrastructure was soon improved by the building of a new, spacious school "Liceo San Pío X", comprising primary and secondary education.

A similar situation manifested itself when in 1957 we took over the parish school of the Holy Family Fathers in Santiago.

Both in Talca and Santiago the number of pupils grew in such a way that hundreds of pupils had to be turned down for lack of place.

In Santiago a new school "Liceo Alberto Hurtado" was built, with a house for the brothers.

Request for brothers were received from various parts of the country. Consecutively, primary schools were started in Buin (a small place about 30 km south of Santiago), and on the hills of the seaside place Viña del Mar. In Santiago a beginning was made with a technical school "Alberto Hurtado". In Talca a second primary school was started in a poor quarter and in Buin a school for the mentally impaired. Moreover, earlier in the same towm already a merger had been effected with the "Liceo Moderno" of the Sisters of Grenoble. This resulted in the "Liceo Moderno Cardenal Caro".

In the educational field the brothers have done their fair bit towards the renewal of Catholic education of the poor. A high-ranking official of the Ministry of Education said among other things: "The technical school Alberto Hurtado has become a model for the rest of the school system." A Jesuit Father, director of a research and development centre for education "Cide", declared: "I believe that the FIC Brothers have made an outstanding contribution towards the modernisation of Catholic and national education".

For instance, the "Liceo Integrado San Pío X" in Talca has drawn quite a lot of attention nationally. This institute is a merger of a primary school for poor children, founded by the Brothers, a secondary school of Sisters for more well to do girls and a secondary school of the diocese for boys.
Integration of poor and rich, of girls and boys, of different social classes, certainly was something remarkable. The aim and ideal of this integration was not only technical, organizational or financial efficiency, but first of all had to do with a different pedagogical, social and pastoral vision. It was hoped that this integration would foster more understanding and respect, more solidarity and responsibility among the students and all others involved.
The establishment of such an institution was stimulated by the government of president Eduardo Frei.

Next to these efforts various brothers were members of national organisations of Catholic education: for primary, for secondary and for technical education. They also were represented in the national episcopal institute for education.

In the pastoral field the brothers have also made their contributions.

Both in Santiago and in Buin and Talca various brothers have done their share in teaching and directing catechesis in the parishes.

The brothers have also played an important part in the creation of the "Departamento de Orientación Cristiano Escolar, DOCET" in Talca. The military regime (1973-1990) made religious education compulsory in all primary and secondary schools. There were too few priests, and of educated lay people in this field there were none. With the help of correspondence courses thousands of teachers got educated in this matter. In 1995 there were 12,500.

A lot was achieved in the social field too.

In the years between 1970 en 1990 the housing shortage took on dramatic forms. In Santiago one of the brothers started a corporation for the construction of houses "Villa Alberto Hurtado". In 1979 the first houses were completed. In Buin a corporation for building houses was founded under the name "Villa Amsterdam". In 1975 the first 100 houses were completed.

In Talca in the poor quarter "Flor de Chile" the basis was laid for a basic Christian community "Virgen de Esperanza". Half-built houses were completed with help from the Netherlands. Some brothers also settled there. In another poor quarter in Talca, "Carlos Trupp", some 250 houses were built, the quarter being called "San Antonio". Some brothers chose to live in this environment.

In the same quarter a centre for help to drug addicts, especially so-called neoprene sniffers, was erected: "Talita Kum House".

In the 70's and 80's feeding halls for undernourished children were set up. In the Netherlands a great campaign was organised: "In need of bread". With this help and later with the help given by the charity "People in Need" (Den Bosch, Holland) we could prepare a daily hot meal for hundreds of children and give food parcels to poor families.

Old people, who often found themselves in painful, frequently inhuman circumstances, were offered help in Buin and in Talca in institutions to take care of these people and to improve their living conditions.

In the youth organisation "Excelsior" in Santiago also help to old people was part of the programme.

One of the brothers was co-founder of a new institute for the care of neglected girls "Paicavi". The girls were the victims of broken families.

In Talca a workshop was set up for futureless street children. They were trained in making toys and didactic material. The products were sold both at home and abroad. In this way the boys could make some pennies out of it. Scholarships were created to enable talented poor youngsters to continue their study.

As a Congregation we have also collaborated in erecting a women's organisation "Domodungo" (the voice of woman). During the military regime the situation of many women, particularly from the ring of poor quarters of Talca, was hopeless. technical and personal training meant light and hope in the lives of these "slaves".

Diminishment in body and mind and lack of vocations made it necessary for the Congregation to discontinue a series of activities or to transfer them to the dioceses.

Four apostolic activities are still carried on by the Congregation:

- the technical school "Alberto Hurtado" in Santiago;  More about this school

- the school "Hermano Bernardo" for mentally impaired children in Buin;  More about this school

- the primary school "San Antonio" in Talca;  More about this school

- a technical school "Luis Rutten", also in Talca.  More about this school

This last school was founded with help of the Dutch, the Basque and the Chilean governments, as well as of the European Union and the Fundación Andes.
It is situated in the poor quarter "Carlos Trupp". In 1993 it was officially inaugurated by the president of Chile, Eduardo Frei Jr.

At the moment, January 2003, there live and work in Chile nine Dutch brothers, two brothers from Spain, four Chileans and three brothers from Indonesia.

Maastricht, January 2003

Bro. Emerentius Beelen.

Transl. Bro. Theo van Schaick