In the front row, Professor Max during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of St. Augustine’s College.
One of the most outstanding personalities who attended the commemorative acts of the 70th anniversary of Colegio San Agustin de Panama was Professor Maximino Dominguez Barrios, known with great affection as Max.
Last August 7, the news of his passing was announced, and the social networks were flooded with messages of grateful remembrance for a life dedicated to Augustinian education.
Professor Max in his early years at St. Augustine’s College.
His life was always characterized by a genuine vocation for teaching.
At the end of the 1940’s he began to teach, first as a primary school teacher in his native land, the province of Los Santos, and from 1954 onwards in the recently founded Colegio San Agustín, in Panama City.
His figure has had a special relevance in the life of this educational institution which celebrated its 70th anniversary this year 2024 and with which our religious family has been at the service of the Panamanian youth, transmitting to them throughout these seven decades the Christian and Augustinian values condensed in its motto: “Virtue, Science and Charity”.
Video clip of the interview with Professor Max on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Colegio San Agustín.
If being a good educator of Geography and History, as Professor Max Dominguez always was, made him known, loved and always remembered by many generations of students, there is another facet of his life for which our Order will always be grateful to him and for which we thank God: his deep Augustinian spirit and love for everything that had to do with our religious community, especially in Panama.
It was that which, years ago, made him worthy of receiving the appointment as Brother General of the Order.
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numerable young people began to know the evangelizing action of the Augustinian Recollects in Panama thanks to the time he dedicated in his classes, especially during the month of August, Augustinian month, to their history, not only from the perspective of chronological facts, but also contributing his personal experience and having known many religious of the Order who passed through Colegio San Agustín, beginning with the always remembered Fr. Rogelio Barasoáin, with whom Professor Max began his professional activity as a teacher in 1954.
Professor Max’s speech at the 70th anniversary of Colegio San Agustín.
A long life of 94 years, more than fifty of them dedicated with abnegation to put the light of life in the soul of the youth, as the lyrics of the Hymn to the Teacher in Panama say, are already a clear testimony of civic courage and love for the homeland, giving his life for it so that others learn to be good citizens and professionals at the service of the common good.
We Augustinian Recollects in Panama thank God for his life because he lived it in sincere friendship and true fraternity with us and with his beloved Colegio San Agustín, where he educated thousands of young people until his retirement in 2001, and where he was always present to accompany us in our own celebrations.
The Prior General of the Order sent to the family of Professor Max a message of condolences and gratitude for a life dedicated to Colegio San Agustín de Panamá and to the Augustinian Recollect Family.
A clip from one of the videos posted on social networks.