In Memory of Fr. Jovino San Miguel San Miguel

(October 22, 1941 to July 3, 2024)

    It is with great sadness that we inform you that Father Jovino San Miguel, President Emeritus of St. Catherine University and St. Catherine University Junior College, passed away in Matsuyama city, Ehime Prefecture on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

Since he first arrived in Japan in 1969, Fr. Jovino San Miguel worked tirelessly for the church and Catholic education. He taught at a number of high schools and universities and, from April 2001 to March 2023, he served as the president of St. Catherine University and St. Catherine University Junior College. During his 22 years as president, he undertook numerous new pathways for our university. Major accomplishments included converting the women’s college to a coeducational university, developing education reforms in the university departments and the opening of a new nursing department at a second campus in the center of Matsuyama City. He worked to make St. Catherine University a vital organization that was able to change and relate to the changing modern Japanese society that struggles with a high number of the aged and a low number of university-aged young people. In 2022, one of his major goals for the university was accomplished as our Masters in Nursing course and, eventually, an independent nursing faculty was brought to fruition.

Locally, Fr. San Miguel assisted in the modernization of St. Martin’s House, a nursing care facility adjacent to the main campus, where students can practice nursing care skills. He has served on numerous committees both locally and nationally in Japan. Fr. San Miguel had served as councilor to the Japan Education Exchanges and Services (JEES) since 2012.

Fr. San Miguel also helped St. Catherine University to become more global through the establishment of international agreements with other universities that led to our university accepting international students and the global links of the International Council of St. Thomas Aquinas University (ICUSTA) and the Association of Southeast and East Asian Catholic Universities (ASEACCU).

In July, 2023, Pope Francis of the Vatican Church in Rome presented an Apostolic Blessing Letter to former President Jovino San Miguel and our university faculty and staff for the contributions made for Catholic education over the years.

Furthermore, because he had worked to spread and promote Catholic education in Japan for approximately 55 years and towards the promotion of private education in Japan, he was conferred by the Emperor of Japan the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, at the Autumn Foreigner Decorations Awards on November 13, 2023.