Rafael Cordero y Molina (October 24, 1790 – July 5, 1868), known as Maestro Cordero, was a self-educated
Afro–Puerto Rican who provided free schooling to the children of his city regardless of race or social standing. He is also known as the "Father of Public Education in Puerto Rico".
In 2004, the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
began the process of Cordero's
beatification
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to Intercession of saints, intercede on behalf of individual ...
. In 2013,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...
recognized him as
Venerable
The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism.
Christianity
Cat ...
.
Early years
Cordero was born in
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan (, , ; Spanish for "Saint John") is the capital city and most populous municipality in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2020 census, it is the 57th-largest city under the ...
,
then part of the
Viceroyalty of New Spain
New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Amer ...
, into a low-income family. He was one of three children, born to Lucas Cordero and Rita Molina. His two older sisters were Gregoria and
Celestina Celestina may refer to:
In arts and entertainment:
*''La Celestina'', a 15th-century Spanish novel
*Celestina (novel), ''Celestina'' (novel), an 18th-century English work by poet Charlotte Turner Smith
*''La Celestina'', Spanish title of ''The Want ...
. His father worked in the
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
fields, while his mother tended the house. Cordero, who was of African ancestry, was self-educated. His love of literature and his determination to teach others and educate himself helped him develop the skills and preparation to teach primary school.
[En busca del Maestro Rafael Cordero/In search of The Master Rafael Cordero; By Jack Delano; Publisher: La Editorial Universidad de Puerto Rico; 1 edition (May 1994); ; ] Cordero received the
sacrament
A sacrament is a Christian rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol of the rea ...
of
Confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...
at the age of 14 from Bishop
Juan Alejo de Arizmendi (1760–1814), the first native bishop of the island.
He grew up and lived his life as a devout
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. In 1820, his older sister,
Celestina Cordero
Celestina Cordero (April 6, 1787 – January 18, 1862), was an educator who in 1820 founded the first school for girls in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Early years
Cordero (birth name: Celestina Cordero y Molina ) was second of three children born in ...
, also a pious Catholic, established the first school for girls on the island.
Educator
In 1810 Cordero established a free school for all the children in his house. He taught children regardless of their race and those who could not afford an education otherwise. There, he taught reading,
calligraphy
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined ...
, mathematics, and religious instruction.
Among the distinguished alumni who attended Cordero's school were
Román Baldorioty de Castro,
Alejandro Tapia y Rivera
Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander.
Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander (Czech, Polish), Alexandre ( French), Alexandros (Greek), Alsander ( Irish), Alessandro (Italian), Aleksandr (R ...
and
José Julián Acosta
José Julián Acosta (February 16, 1825 – August 26, 1891), was a journalist and an advocate of the abolition of slavery in Puerto Rico.
Early years
José Julián Acosta Calbo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico to Francisco de Acosta y Sandova ...
. Cordero maintained his educational center for 58 years at Luna Street. He proved that racial and economic integration could be possible and accepted.
Cordero was awarded the ''Premio de Virtud'' by the
Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País en Puerto Rico
The Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País en Puerto Rico (1813–1899) was a learned society in Spanish colonial San Juan, Puerto Rico, modelled after the Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País in Spain. The society published a newspaper
...
, an economic club whose members were friends of Puerto Rico. He was given 100
peso
The peso is the monetary unit of several countries in the Americas, and the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries the peso uses the same sign, "$", as many currencies named " doll ...
s, which he, in turn, gave away to those in need. He used half of the money (50 pesos) to buy books and clothes for his students, and the other half was given to the homeless.
The people's love and respect for Cordero were evidenced by the fact that more than 2,000 people attended his funeral in 1868. The Catholic Church plans to search for Cordero's remains which were buried at the
Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
__NOTOC__
The Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery is a colonial-era cemetery located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the final resting place of many of Puerto Rico's most prominent natives and residents. Construction began in 1863 under ...
in San Juan, although the exact location is unknown.
He was a great agitator for the abolition of slavery:
Honors and veneration
Puerto Rican poet
José Gualberto Padilla published a poem titled "El maestro Rafael" honoring the educator. In 1890, Rafael Cordero was immortalized in a painting titled ''La Escuela del Maestro Rafael Cordero'' by the artist
Francisco Oller
Francisco Oller (June 17, 1833 – May 17, 1917) was a Puerto Rican painter. Oller is the only Latin American painter to have played a role in the development of Impressionism. One of the most distinguished transatlantic painters of his d ...
which can be seen in the
Puerto Rican Athenaeum.
The house in Luna Street, where Rafael Cordero taught, was remodeled by the
Government of Puerto Rico
The government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government with separation of powers, subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States.[National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...]
of the United States. There is a plaque on the outside that states the building's historical significance and its relation to him. The
Puerto Rico Teachers Association annually awards the teacher who has distinguished himself or herself in the field of public or private education with the National Medal Rafael Cordero. There are various schools named after him, among them a high school in San Juan, an elementary school in
Aguadilla, an elementary school in
Jersey City
Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.[New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...]
, and a Junior High School in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
In 2004, the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, upon the request of the
Archbishop of San Juan
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan de Puerto Rico ( la, Archidiœcesis Sancti Joannis Portoricensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States, comprising the northeast portion of the island o ...
,
Roberto González Nieves,
O.F.M., began the process of Cordero's
beatification
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to Intercession of saints, intercede on behalf of individual ...
. This is the first step on the road to possible
canonization
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
. On December 9, 2013,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013 ...
advanced the cause for Cordero when he declared that Cordero had heroically lived the Christian virtues and has been declared
Venerable
The Venerable (''venerabilis'' in Latin) is a style, a title, or an epithet which is used in some Western Christian churches, or it is a translation of similar terms for clerics in Eastern Orthodoxy and monastics in Buddhism.
Christianity
Cat ...
.
“Papa da inicio a beatificación de puertorriqueño Rafael Cordero”; “La Raza”; Retrieved December 9, 2013
See also
* List of Puerto Ricans
* List of Puerto Ricans of African descent
* Black history in Puerto Rico
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have of ...
References
Further reading
Cordero's contributions to society have been documented in history books and also in the following books:
* "In search of maestro Rafael Cordero" (En busca del maestro Rafael Cordero) by Jack Delano
Jack Delano (born Jacob Ovcharov; August 1, 1914 – August 12, 1997) was a Ukrainian immigrant who became an accomplished photographer for the Works Progress Administration, United Fund, and most notably, the Farm Security Administration (FSA). ...
- May 1994
* "Heroes of Puerto Rico" by Jay Nelson Tuck - March 1970
External links
Rafael Cordero
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cordero, Rafael
1790 births
1868 deaths
Burials at Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery
People from San Juan, Puerto Rico
People of colonial Puerto Rico
Puerto Rican educators
18th-century Puerto Rican people
19th-century Puerto Rican people
18th-century venerated Christians
19th-century venerated Christians
Venerated Catholics by Pope Francis
19th-century Puerto Rican educators
American venerated Catholics
Puerto Rican people of African descent
Puerto Rican Catholics