Towards the General Chapter

The name of the small town of San Bernardino is not related to the saint but to President Bernardino Caballero who ruled Paraguay on 24 August 1881, the official date on which German settlers founded the city a few years after The Great War of the Triple Alliance (1865-1870).Several great legends tell the origins of San Bernardino. Our beloved Fr. Alonso SCJ collected some of these stories in the book: San Bernardino, sus leyendas y su historia (Asunción 1996), a copy of which is kept in the library of San José College.

One of these legends speaks of two brothers who are said to be the ancestors of the Guaraní: Amarasó and Paraguá. The latter, who lived near the Tupa-Icua spring, decided to build a village there which went on to arouse the admiration of all. It should be noted that the two brothers had survived after the island of Atlantis had been swallowed up. Obsessed by the memory of this town, Paraguá took the lead in digging a deep well to find the yellowish substance able to illuminate the nights of this beautiful place. But he obtained only one result: the spring waters became turbid and began to bubble, day and night, until the day they submerged the whole village.

It would appear that the site was inhabited before the lake was formed. On one of his excursions on horseback on our lakeside site, Fr. Alonso found remains that some people associated with the presence of a native cemetery. The fact dates back to 11 January 1946 and this discovery was made public in the newspaper of the time, “La Tribuna”. Not all historians are convinced that it is a native cemetery, but it is certain that this beautiful lake, which we admire today, has not always existed. There was a time when it was a lagoon, or a swamp, populated by indigenous peoples. The dictator José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (who held absolute power from 1814 to 1840 and expelled from Paraguay all the priests and religious people who did not wish to take an oath of obedience and submission to the dictator) had the idea of building a dam where the waters of the lagoon meet to form a large reservoir of water. The lake thus formed was used for river transport. Although fairly well used, the service was nevertheless interrupted due to periods of drought and several accidents.

There is also the legend of the blessed or exorcised waters: it is said that around 1600 Brother Bolaños intervened to bless the rising waters which, during a great flood, had overwhelmed several indigenous villages and threatened to flood important villages in the Pirayu Valley. Thanks to this divine intervention, the waters calmed down and turned into an enchanting lake. These waters are doubly blessed because another legend claims that a local person found a statue of the Virgin of Caacupé (the national sanctuary of Paraguay) in a rustic trunk floating on the waters.

This is the story of San Bernardino, a small town that extends to the shore of the blessed Ypacaraí lake. In summer it is one of Paraguay’s most popular holiday destinations. Those who had the economic means bought land and built beautiful holiday residences, just 50 km from Asunción.

San José College has a beautiful site on the shores of the lake, called “campamento”, where since 1940, pupils and religious people became accustomed to spend their holidays. In 1995, when this camp was used for purposes that were no longer in harmony with the objectives promoted by the Congregation, this encampment was forbidden, even if the group in question continued to gather in other places, because some students are convinced that the spirit of the San José College belongs to this famous “encampment”.

The Congregation owns another property which is precisely the place where the General Chapter will be held: Mr. Lloret, a great benefactor, has donated about 40 hectares to us. Almost all of the land was divided up and sold; however an old colonial house has been preserved, where meetings and spiritual retreats were held for a long time. It is this house that has been restructured and enlarged to accommodate nearly 130 guests who wish to organize meetings or spiritual retreats: a service currently very much in demand in Paraguay.
Welcome to San Bernardino, a place protected by divine blessing! Our house, dedicated to the Sacred Heart, wishes to offer you an unforgettable experience, conducive to the future of the Congregation.

Tobia Sosio scj

Paraguay | March 2017

The international press has reported the recent violent events in Paraguay. We had a terrifying night. The excessive police repression only exasperated protesters opposed to the proposed amendment to the Constitution that a group of senators were trying to impose. The purpose of this amendment was to allow the re-election of the President, which is currently excluded by the Constitution. The violent repression, seen live on television, degenerated into acts of vandalism: a fire was lit in the senate, and cars were set on fire, and a young political leader, one of our parishioners of La Colmena, who had taken refuge in the premises of the Liberal Party, was killed during clashes between police and protesters.
In an attempt to disarm the dangerous climate of revolt that has spread to many cities, the President of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes, summoned the main political leaders around a table in the presence of the Archbishop of Asunción.
Last Wednesday, a first attempt at dialogue took place in the absence of the main opposition party. An appeal by the Episcopal Conference had recently warned that the draft amendment could provoke violent reactions among a population that was tired of its politicians and dissatisfied with the way they gained power and remained in power, the memory of the dictatorships still powerful among many people. Unfortunately, this appeal was not heard. Public order is really in danger; It will be difficult to silence the protesters, if this project - which is unconstitutional from all points of view - is not withdrawn. In all the religious colleges and parishes there are organised vigils of prayer so that new violence does not break out.
At this moment the waters seem calm... like Lake San Bernardino... Let’s hope that all these events do not stir the mud that lies in the discontent of many people.