Our Lady of Belen Chapel, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School

Last Sunday took place the dedication of the Our Lady of Bethlehem chapel of the Belen Jesuit Preparatory School (Miami, USA). We have had the satisfaction of participating very closely in this beautiful project, for which we have provided an integral service by equipping the temple with sculpturesWe also have a collection of carvings, carvings and reliefs, as well as all its liturgical gold and silver work and textile ornaments. We share with you some of our works for this chapel.

Lhe Society of Jesus in Miami has close ties with Cuba, where it originated. Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded to continue the work that was carried out at the Colegio de Belen in Havana when they were forced to leave the island. In the same city, the Jesuit church of the Sacred Heart, better known as the church of Reina because it is located on that street, is still an emblematic building.

In order to honor and remember its Cuban roots, the Belen Jesuit community wanted to reproduce in the new temple the reliefs of the Jesuit saints that our company made in 1922 for the altarpiece of the church of Reina in Havana, modeled by the sculptor José Capuz under the direction of our founder, don. Felix Granda. While the originals are polychrome wood carvings, we have made the present ones in Trani marble of a pinkish beige variety. We have also made a polychrome and stewed carving of Our Lady of Bethlehem, which reproduces the image that presided over the school chapel in Havana.

The presbytery is presided by a crucified Christ in marble three meters high, which follows a historical model also made by our company by the sculptor Luis Ortega Bru. In addition, we have made two polychrome and stewed carvings of round bulk, one of them representing St. Francis Xavier in a slightly larger than natural size and another that reproduces the image of Our Lady of Montserrat.