| Curia Generalizia dei Marianisti September 19, 2005 Death Notice No. 16 (To all Unit Administrations): The Province of Madrid recommends to our fraternal prayers our dear Brother, AGUSTIN CALZADA GUTIÉRREZ, who died in the service of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 16, 2005, at Pola de Lena, Spain, in the 74th year of his age and the 56th of his religious profession. Agustín Calzada was born May 5, 1932, in Avellanosa del Páramo in the Province of Burgos, Spain. At the age of 13 he entered the Postulate at Escoriaza. In 1949 he began his novitiate. He professed his first vows on September 12, 1950. A few months later he was sent to the scholas-ticate in Brandssn, Argentina. On February 16, 1956, he made his definitive commitment to the Society of Mary with the profession of perpetual vows. Agustín was one of the religious sent to Argentina for the scholasticate and university studies which would enable him to carry out his mission as an educator in the Andean countries. He began his teaching in Buenos Aires in 1953 where he remained for nine years He worked in South America for twenty years until 1973. During that time he was at the schools in Nueve de Julio (Argentina) and Linares and Santiago (Chile). When he returned to Europe he spent a year in Castelgandolfo for the second novitiate, after which he returned to Spain. In the following years he carried out his mission as a teacher in the schools of Rodríguez Fabrés Foundation in Salamanca, Our Lady of the Pillar in Madrid, in Valladolid and Pola de Lena. He arrived at the latter in 1981 and remained there for fifteen years as a teacher and secretary and then as retired until his death. His health problems began at an early age. Problems with blood circulation caused varicose veins in his legs and in his esophagus The first were more visible and forced him to keep his legs bandaged. The esophagus veins were more difficult to treat and were a serious threat to his life. He knew he was sick and took care of his health. He had to limit his work but was always active. In spite of the difficulties he suffered he was cheerful in his relationships with the persons close to him in community. He made special efforts to animate the Ex-Students’ Association to which he gave a lot of his time. On the morning of September 16 he had a strong internal hemorrhage. An ambulance took him to the hospital immediately. The doctors worked to reduce the loss of blood but their efforts were in vain and he died a few hours later. By sheer coincidence the group which finished its school studies 25 years ago was meeting precisely on Saturday the 17 to celebrate the silver jubilee of graduation. They had planned to have the Eucharist together and did so in the school chapel where the body of Agustín was laid out. Don Carlos Osoro, bishop of the diocese, who had gone to pray for the religious and accompany the Marianist community in its sorrow and in hope wanted to join with the celebration of the ex-students and presided at the ceremony. In the afternoon the parish church was filled with friends of the
community and of the school, teachers, parents, alumni and neighbors
who joined the Marianist community and the family of Agustín
to accompany him in his final journey to God. |