Ambassador to Spain credits success to Holy Cross brothers, school

Published: 2005-07-28

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) -- The 58-year-old Cuban-American who left June 25 for Madrid to take up his duties as U.S. ambassador to Spain credited Holy Cross School in New Orleans, the Holy Cross brothers and the teachers there for putting his feet on the right path to success. Eduardo Aguirre Jr., born in Cuba, was one of the nearly 14,000 Cuban youths sent to the United States in an early 1960s' program dubbed Operation Pedro Pan. The children were sent by their parents to prevent the indoctrination they feared under the island's new communist leader, Fidel Castro. The first children arrived in Miami Dec. 26, 1960. Aguirre, then 15, arrived a year later, in December 1961, followed by his younger brother, Louis, in February 1962. The young Aguirres had no family members in the U.S. and eventually wound up in Louisiana as part of a group of 13 young men sent to Hope Haven in Marrero. Aguirre called Holy Cross "a vital ray of sunshine during what was a bad time in my life."

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .