Fernando de la Fuente de la Fuente
Encyclopedia
Brother Fernando de la Fuente de la Fuente (16 December 1943 – 31 October 1996) was a Spanish
Marist Brother and missionary
who was one of four Marist Brothers martyr
ed at the Nyamirangwe refugee camp
, Zaire
. Together with the brothers of his community who were assassinated, Brother Miguel Ángel Isla Lucio
, Brother Servando Mayor García
, and Brother Julio Rodríguez Jorge
. Brother Fernando is commemorated in Marist circles as one of The Martyrs of Bugobe.
, Spain to Sigismundo and Primitiva de la Fuente de la Fuente. In September 1956 he entered the Juniorate of the Marist Brothers in Valladolid
, making his novitiate in Liérganes
in 1960, taking his first vows on 2 July 1962 and continuing his formation in Chile
where he accomplished important work in education and catechesis as teacher and principal in several Marist Colleges in that country of the Andes
from 1982 to 1995. He was teacher in the Instituto O'Higgins in Rancagua
, from 1977 to 1982. He had also worked as a formator and a member of the Chilean Provincial council.
, particularly Rwanda, where they had been 1952. However, with the Rwandan genocide
in 1994, in August 1994, the General Assembly and the District Council of the Brothers of Rwanda took the decision to have a renewed presence among the Rwandans to assist in the nation's rebuilding. Within the country, three communities which centred their mission on the schools were reopened. Six Brothers formed a new community at the service of the refugees outside the country. In view of the escalating difficulties faced by the refugees and the Rwandan Brothers themselves, the community was reinforced with three non-African Brothers. But as the inter-racial tensions persisted, it was decided to withdraw the Rwandan Brothers from the Bugobe community.
To aid the mission of the Rwandan Brothers, Brother Fernando offered to participate as an expression of missionary solidarity. He was accepted and left in December 1995 to serve the mission. After two months in Belgium, at the Centre for the Formation of French-speaking Missionaries, he went to Zaire, to the refugee camp of Nyamirangwe (Bugobe), in February 1996.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Marist Brother and missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who was one of four Marist Brothers martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed at the Nyamirangwe refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
, Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
. Together with the brothers of his community who were assassinated, Brother Miguel Ángel Isla Lucio
Miguel Ángel Isla Lucio
Brother Miguel Ángel Isla Lucio was a Marist Brother and missionary who was one of four Marist Brothers martyred at the Nyamirangwe refugee camp, Zaire...
, Brother Servando Mayor García
Servando Mayor García
Brother Servando Mayor García was a Marist Brother and missionary who was one of four Marist Brothers martyred at the Nyamirangwe refugee camp, Zaire...
, and Brother Julio Rodríguez Jorge
Julio Rodríguez Jorge
Brother Julio Rodríguez Jorge was a Marist Brother and missionary who was one of four Marist Brothers martyred at the Nyamirangwe refugee camp, Zaire...
. Brother Fernando is commemorated in Marist circles as one of The Martyrs of Bugobe.
Early life and works
Brother Fernando was born on 16 December 1943 in BurgosBurgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
, Spain to Sigismundo and Primitiva de la Fuente de la Fuente. In September 1956 he entered the Juniorate of the Marist Brothers in Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
, making his novitiate in Liérganes
Liérganes
Liérganes is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the city has a population of 2,391 inhabitants.-Towns:*Bucarrero*Calgar*Casa del Monte*El Condado*La Costera*Extremera*La Herrán...
in 1960, taking his first vows on 2 July 1962 and continuing his formation in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
where he accomplished important work in education and catechesis as teacher and principal in several Marist Colleges in that country of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
from 1982 to 1995. He was teacher in the Instituto O'Higgins in Rancagua
Rancagua
Rancagua is a city and commune in central Chile, part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago. It had a 2002 population of 214,344...
, from 1977 to 1982. He had also worked as a formator and a member of the Chilean Provincial council.
Life in Zaire
The Marist Brothers had had a strong presence in east-central AfricaCentral Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
, particularly Rwanda, where they had been 1952. However, with the Rwandan genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
in 1994, in August 1994, the General Assembly and the District Council of the Brothers of Rwanda took the decision to have a renewed presence among the Rwandans to assist in the nation's rebuilding. Within the country, three communities which centred their mission on the schools were reopened. Six Brothers formed a new community at the service of the refugees outside the country. In view of the escalating difficulties faced by the refugees and the Rwandan Brothers themselves, the community was reinforced with three non-African Brothers. But as the inter-racial tensions persisted, it was decided to withdraw the Rwandan Brothers from the Bugobe community.
To aid the mission of the Rwandan Brothers, Brother Fernando offered to participate as an expression of missionary solidarity. He was accepted and left in December 1995 to serve the mission. After two months in Belgium, at the Centre for the Formation of French-speaking Missionaries, he went to Zaire, to the refugee camp of Nyamirangwe (Bugobe), in February 1996.