O Gymnasio Espírito Santo e a atuação da ordem religiosa premonstratense em Jaguarão, RS, Brasil (1901-1914)

Abstract

This thesis aims to understand the educational work of the Premonstratensian Fathers of the Abbey of Averbode/Belgium in the city of Jaguarão, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, at the beginning of the 20th century, starting with the establishment of the Gymnasio Espírito Santo in 1901, and the reasons that led to the cessation of its activities at the end of 1914, the period covered by this study. I argue that the creation of the Gymnasio Espírito Santo is related to the ultramontane policy of the Catholic Church in the emerging Brazilian republic, as well as highlighting the competition in the field of education between Catholicism and local forces that defended opposing ideologies, such as Freemasonry, the Rio-Grandense Republican Party, and the Anglicans. The ultramontane perspective that influenced the Order of Premonstratensians upon their arrival in Brazil occasionally put them at odds with the established local powers. It was possible to perceive the relationships these priests had with local authorities as well as the reasons for their departure, which were linked to various factors, starting with the Rivadávia Reform (1911) in Brazilian education, rather than conflicts with the local Freemasonry, as some of the older residents tended to believe was the main reason for their leaving. Among the concepts and categories that underpin the research are: School Culture, Educational Institution, Local Powers, School Space, Cultural Heritage, and Memory. The chosen epistemological approach for this research is Cultural History. To support this investigation, letters from the priests, written memories of students, minutes from congregations and institutions, publications in periodicals, photographs, and some documents from the Gymnasium were examined, including ten editions of a student publication called “O Gymnasial”. The contribution of the Premonstratensians of Averbode to education in Brazil still lacks in-depth studies in the History of Education, highlighting the relevance of this work on one of their most important institutions in the 1900s. Initially, they founded the São Norberto College in Pirapora do Bom Jesus, São Paulo, in 1897, the Espírito Santo Gymnasium in Jaguarão/RS in 1901, and also took charge of the São Vicente de Paulo College in Petrópolis/RJ (1909) and the Atheneu Jauense in Jaú/SP (1915). By bringing this Gymnasium out of obscurity and contextualizing it within the disputes that occurred during the so-called First Brazilian Republic, this research offers a relevant analysis of this period, based on the experience of an educational institution in the far south of Brazil. At the same time, it will contribute to the historiography regarding this Gymnasium in the city of Jaguarão, providing new meanings about the work of this Religious Order and the reasons that led to the closure of the Espírito Santo Gymnasium.