Type Jesuit, Catholic Staff 176 | Director Martha Peñaherrera Grades K + 6 + 6 | |
Established 1862; 155 years ago (1862) Rector Rolando Andrade Street, SJ | ||
St. Gabriel College, Quito, Ecuador, (Colegio San Gabriel) was founded by the Jesuits in 1862, and has grown to include pre-primary as well as six primary and six secondary years.
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History
In 1589 the first Jesuit school was founded in Quito, considered the predecessor of today's college. But it closed in 1767, with the Suppression of the Society of Jesus. In 1862 President Gabriel Garcia Moreno brought the Jesuits back to Ecuador and restored to them the National School in Quito, which they had run in colonial times under the name San Luis, in the heart of old Quito. They renamed the school San Gabriel. It was still subsidized by the state, until 1901 when the liberal government forced its privatization.
In the twentieth century the school passed through various stages of government control, but continued to grow and expand its reach. In 1958 it moved to its new facilities on Latin Avenue in the north of the city. In the 21st century improvements include increased classrooms and laboratories and a heated, indoor pool.
In 2011, San Gabriel opened a coeducational primary unit, beginning with the first grade. For this two new buildings were built.
Since 1906 students have taken from the college a special devotion to Mary, mother of Jesus under the title Our Lady of Sorrows. This goes back to several students' report of seeing Mary's eyelids open and close in her picture in the refectory. After investigation church officials found the reports credible and the incident to be without natural explanation, and allowed private devotion to the image, in the interest of placing greater trust in Mary's protection.
Social service projects undertaken by students include needy children at Casa Victoria, adults at San Juan de Dios Hostel, those at the Cecilia Rivadenerira Foundation and cancer patients. These projects take the form of two or three full days a year or two days a week for about two hours a day for much of the school year.
Noted environmentalist Dr. Fausto Oswaldo Sarmiento began his career as a biology teacher at San Gabriel.
Activities
Facilities include a fitness center, swimming pool, football fields, running track, rama sports football, basketball, volleyball, and table tennis.