The first Jesuits arrived in South Florida in 1567. More than 300 years later, in 1896, the first parish was established in Miami, named in honor of Jesus and known as “Gesu Church.” The current church was dedicated in 1925.
In the early 1960s, a large number of Cuban refugees arrived in Miami. Among them was a group of Jesuits who decided to continue Belén High School and the Catholic University Association, which had been operating in Havana.
Currently, there are two Jesuit communities and works such as Gesu Parish in Downtown, Belen Jesuit Prep School, “Manresa House” Retreat Center, and the Catholic University Association (ACU). The latter is based in Miami and is active in several universities in different locations across the U.S.
