The Capuchin presence in the city of San Juan de Pasto celebrates 130 years of history, service, and evangelizing mission in southern Colombia. The origins of this work date back to the 1890s, when Bishop Manuel Caycedo requested the support of the Capuchins of Tulcán to address the region's challenging pastoral needs.
This presence was officially consolidated on April 7, 1896, the date on which the convent and fraternity were established in Pasto, with the blessing of Saint Ezekiel Moreno y Díaz. From that moment on, the Capuchins assumed a leading role in the evangelization of southern Colombia and the Amazon, initially spurred on by the arrival of friars from the province of Catalonia. Among them, Alfonso de Àger, architect of the convent and the former seminary, stood out.
The Consolidation of the Goretti Work
A defining moment in this history of service occurred in 1952, when the mission in the region was assumed by the Province of Palermo (Italy). It was under this new pastoral impetus, and thanks to the leadership and unwavering vision of Father William of Castellana, which is born and consolidated Maria Goretti School Association.
Affectionately known as the Goretti Project, this initiative was structured as a comprehensive mission to address the community's needs from various angles. Today, the association comprises socially valuable entities such as the María Goretti Municipal Educational Institution, the María Goretti Health Unit, the San Francisco de Asís Institute, the Santiago Apóstol Parish, and CESMAG University.
Within this large, service-oriented institutional family, CESMAG University contributes from the field of higher education. Through our classrooms, and in synergy with the other entities of the association, we continue to realize the Capuchin dream of integrating science with Franciscan values. This collaborative work allows the presence of the Capuchin friars to continue to resonate today, training professionals with a vocation for service and educating for life.
In commemorating these 130 years, the Province and the university community unite in thanksgiving for the legacy of the friars and benefactors, reaffirming the institutional commitment to deliver to society true New Men for New Times.
This article is an expanded republication, using the note as its base text. “130 years of Capuchin presence in Pasto: a history of mission and service”, originally published by the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin Colombia.
Digital Communication / UNICESMAG Communications and Marketing Office
