About the Casa de Hogar
The CASA DE HOGAR EL BUEN PASTOR was founded in the 1920's by A. B. DeRoose, an American of Irish extraction, as an evangelistic effort. The orphanage was originally located in Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico, a town about 30 miles from the capital city of Morelia in the state of Michoacán, a region in central Mexico in the Sierra Madre Mountains. It was relocated to Morelia in 1962, where it remains today.
Mother Myrtle
A few years after the founding, the direction of the Casa de Hogar was assumed by a young woman in her early twenties named Miss Myrtle Paulsen, who was from New Zealand. This amazing woman served the children and her Lord for almost 70 years, finally retiring in 1993 at the age of 92.
Miss Paulsen was loved by the children as their mother. She provided warmth and caring as well as structure to children, who usually numbered more than 40 at any given time. Children who grew up in the orphanage, called alumni, still speak of her reverentially. Miss Paulsen valued education highly and regularly arranged for teachers to come from the United States during their summer vacations to help with the children's education. For much of her tenure, Miss Paulsen worked with Elena Santiago López. Together, these women cared for all the children. During this time, Miss Paulsen moved the orphanage to Morelia, where she secured a large parcel of land and designed and built the structure which has been in use since 1962.
The Casa Today
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After Miss Paulsen retired in 1993, leadership was assumed by Refugio Castro Ordaz, affectionately known as Cuquita. She had assisted Miss Paulsen in her early years and became director when she was 62 years old, continuing her faithful service until her retirement in January 2003. Today, the baton is carried by Sara Aguila Fernandez. Sara is an alumna of the orphanage and a religious sister associated with an evangelical church in Mexico City. Just prior to assuming this new position, Sara, or "Sarita" as she is called by those who know her, worked in a Mexico City orphanage. She is ably assisted by a Casa de Hogar alumnus, Fernando, the Assistant Director. |
 This is Cuquita, the former directora shown with Fernando, the assistant director and alumni of El Buen Pastor. |
They live at the orphanage and are responsible for the needs of the children twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Theirs is truly a labor of love and devotion. It has always been the policy that no salaries are paid to the staff. The full time teacher, Sandra Martinez, is the only person receiving a salary from the Fund. Two part-time workers and one full-time worker receive remuneration donated by friends of the orphanage. The Casa de Hogar El Buen Pastor exists for only one reason, its children. They are the focus of its existence.