On Saturday 8 March 2025, the Calasanctian Family gathered in Getafe under the motto “Heirs of a common treasure” to commemorate the Centenary of the death of Saint Faustino Míguez, founder of the Calasanctian Institute of the Daughters of the Divine Shepherdess. The day was a moving tribute to his spiritual and educational legacy.
Despite the inclement weather, the celebration was characterised by great participation and joy. The official celebrations began at 10:00 a.m. with a solemn Eucharist in the Cathedral of Santa María Magdalena de Getafe, presided over by Bishop D. Ginés García Beltrán. General Father Pedro Aguado, Piarists from the communities of Getafe and Madrid, diocesan priests, civil authorities, representatives of the local church and the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Angels, various Calasanctian congregations, the General Management Team of the Institute, the delegates of the three sectors of the Institute, Calasanctian nuns and lay people, students, teachers and families were present at the ceremony. The choir of the Divina Pastora School accompanied the ceremony with musical interpretations full of sensitivity and emotion.
In his homily, the Bishop emphasised that “God does not leave things incomplete” and underlined the validity of the testimony and holiness of Saint Faustino. He emphasised his figure as a legacy for the whole Church, with a heart capable of accepting reality and allowing itself to be transformed by it. He also quoted his Spiritual Testament and encouraged the assembly to respond to people’s thirst for God, in line with Pope Francis’ message in Evangelii Gaudium.
After the Eucharist, the participants shared an agape in a fraternal atmosphere characterised by hugs, smiles and encounters. At 12:30 pm, a cultural event took place in the auditorium of the University of the Piarist Fathers, which enriched the commemoration. In her welcome address, Superior General Mª José Sotelo recalled that this Easter fills us with joy and hope because St Faustino was a man of the people and for the people, who “gives us “a way of understanding life, a way of relating to one another and gives us a mother who is a shepherdess who accompanies us and takes care of us”. Afterwards, the Mayor of Getafe, Mrs Sara Hernández, also welcomed the participants.
Father Pedro Aguado, Superior General of the Order of Pious Schools, gave the talk “San Faustino de la Encarnación: A Piarist who speaks to educators”, in which he emphasised the central role of the student, the importance of listening and the need for education for transformation.
M. Sacramento Calderón, Calasanctian Sister and delegate of the Spain, Africa, India sector, gave a talk on “St Faustino Míguez: A light for our times from the treasure found”, defining him as someone who discovered the treasure of God, his only and true wealth. He emphasised three keys to his life: a life in which he went to God out of himself, out of trust in Him; the smallness that permeates his entire being and, finally, an attentive look at reality.
The event also included musical performances by pupils and teachers from the Divina Pastora School in Getafe. A particularly moving moment was the premiere of the song “Testigo de amor”, which M. Mª Carmen Jurado had composed for the occasion and which was sung by the school’s children.
This commemoration not only looked to the past, but also reaffirmed the Calasanctian family’s commitment to the present and the future, keeping the charism.
