Colegio de Nuestra Senora de Andacollo (Santiago)

Colegio Nuestra Señora de Andacollo is a Catholic primary and secondary school administered by the Congregation of Holy Cross since 1976 in Santiago, Chile. It was founded by the Archdiocese of Santiago in 1904. The school is dedicated to "Our Lady of Andacollo" (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Andacollo), also known as the "Virgin of Andacollo" (Spanish: Virgen de Andacollo), a celebrated Catholic image of the Virgin Mary.

The history of Andacollo Parish School originates in the beginning of the 20th century in the midst many social questions. In the midst of a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of then Santiago, full of tenements and house of ill-repute, was lifted the tower of a chapel that shared the same land as the Confraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer. The Confraternity decided to destine the land for the construction of a sanctuary and a school for children that the priest of that era dedicated to Our Lady of Andacollo (Nuestra Señora de Andacollo).

In spite of always counting on the support of persons of good will, the economic highs and lows from the beginning of the school's history endangered the institution's future. Hence, those around it have transformed a small school into something much larger.

The school opened in a simple for in 1904, teaching literacy to the young boys of the neighborhood. Thus, the cornerstone was laid in 1906 of what would become the Sanctuary of Andacollo, under the direction of Rev. Ladislao Godoy, who would later be known as "el Cura de Andacollo" (the priest of Andacollo).

In the following year, some enthusiastic youth founded the first "Patronato de Andacollo." As this building acquired increasing importance, the archbishop of Santiago erected it formally as a parish in June 1912., appointing Rev. Godoy as the first pastor. In that same year, Miguel Covarrubias Valdés took the helm of the school, seeking those who wanted to help him with the work.

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