Living vocation of teaching

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

	St. Miguel Febres Cordero When: 1854-1910 Where: Ecuador What: Teacher, writer, Christian Brother Feast: Feb. 9 Canonized: 1984

It's often the simple things, not the grand and prestigious, that bring us the most satisfaction. Such was the case with St. Miguel Febres Cordero-Muñoz. He received many honors in his life for scholarly accomplishments, but his favorite duty was preparing children to receive their First Communion.

St. Miguel - the first person from Ecuador to be canonized - was born high in the Andes in the city of Cuenca to a distinguished family. He was among the first people to attend a school opened by the Christian Brothers.

He decided, at age 14, that he wanted to join the Brothers of Christian Schools, but his parents objected. They wanted him to become a priest instead. So he entered the seminary, but soon became ill. After he recovered, his mother agreed that he should try the Christian Brothers instead.

He joined the community, surrendering his baptismal name, Francisco, in favor of Miguel. His first teaching assignment was at El Cebollar School in Quito, where he stayed for 32 years.

By age 17, Br. Miguel had written and published a Spanish textbook that eventually was adopted for use throughout Ecuador. He wrote several more textbooks, plus odes, hymns, plays and books on piety and religious instruction and was elected to the national Academy of Letters.

As a teacher, he was widely known and respected. Many townspeople even came to watch his year-end exams.

Miguel also conducted retreats and, for three years, served as director of novices, a position he said he was unworthy to hold.

In 1907, his community transferred him to their headquarters in Belgium, so he would have more time to write. But because of ill health, he was sent the next year to a Christian Brothers' school near Barcelona, Spain, where he died two years later.

In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, his remains were moved back to Quito. In 1954, the government of Ecuador built a large memorial in his honor. Postage stamps also were issued in his memory.

When Pope Paul VI beatified Miguel in 1977, he praised him for treating the teaching profession as a true religious vocation. He was canonized by Pope John Paul.