Minuto de Dios

Minuto de Dios, translated as “Minute of God,” is a Colombian Catholic religious and social-development movement founded by the Eudist priest Rafael García Herreros. It began in 1950 as a short daily radio reflection addressing God, human life, Christian responsibility, and the transformation of society. After broadcasting initially from Cartagena and later from stations in other Colombian cities, the program moved to national television in January 1957. Its brief evening message became one of the most durable fixtures in Colombian broadcasting and has continued across successive public and private television systems. In the 1990s, the private networks RCN and Caracol were required to carry the program, extending its reach beyond the original national television structure. The broadcast served as the public face of a much broader ministry. Early sponsorship money was distributed to poor people, and García Herreros soon began helping families build homes in an informal settlement near Bogotá’s Military Hospital. After Antonio Restrepo Barco donated land, the settlement developed into Barrio Minuto de Dios. The neighborhood became a center for housing, cultural activity, education, religious work, and community services, including a museum, a children’s crafts center, and a park. The Corporación Minuto de Dios was established in 1958, creating an institutional base for the movement’s expanding social programs. A major fundraising tradition began in 1961 with the Banquete del Millón, or Banquet of the Million. The annual event was designed to have wealthy participants share a modest meal and contribute to social initiatives, particularly housing and assistance for low-income communities. It became one of the organization’s best-known public activities and has been held annually since its creation. By the organization’s fiftieth anniversary in 2005, it reported having constructed approximately 50,000 housing units. Minuto de Dios also developed a substantial communications and education infrastructure. It operates radio stations in Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín, and Barranquilla, and its media company Lumen—formerly Lumen 2000—has produced religious programming, events, and large-format printing in addition to the television capsules. The movement established the Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, commonly known as UNIMINUTO, in 1990. The university became a major higher-education institution with a large student population and a mission connected to accessible education and social development. Other activities have included agricultural advice through Fundases, bookstores, healthcare through Corporación de Salud Minuto de Dios, and support for people living with HIV/AIDS through Fundación Eudes. A confectionery initiative was also opened in 1992 with an export and employment-creation objective. García Herreros hosted the program until his death in 1992, on the night of that year’s Banquete del Millón. He was succeeded by the Eudist priest Diego Jaramillo, who has continued as the principal presenter and a leading head of the ministry. The continuity of its format, presenters, social programs, and nightly presence has made Minuto de Dios an unusual hybrid: simultaneously a religious media property, a charitable institution, a housing and community-development network, and an education and communications group. In 2015, the organization marked the television program’s sixtieth anniversary by unveiling a large mosaic portrait of García Herreros in the Barrio Minuto de Dios.

Rafael García Herreros began Minuto de Dios in 1950 as a daily radio reflection on Christian faith and social responsibility. The first broadcasts came from Emisoras Fuentes in Cartagena and lasted only several months before his travel to Europe interrupted them. The program returned on radio stations in other Colombian cities in December 1951. Its national reach expanded decisively on January 10, 1957, when it entered Colombia’s newly developing national television system as a short weekday evening broadcast. Its uninterrupted continuation made it the oldest-running program on Colombian television. During the 1990s, the program also appeared on the private networks RCN and Caracol, which were required to transmit it. The ministry’s social work developed almost immediately. García Herreros used early sponsorship support to distribute aid to poor people, then began organizing housing construction in an informal settlement near Bogotá’s Military Hospital. After a land dispute threatened the settlement, Antonio Restrepo Barco donated a first parcel that became part of Barrio Minuto de Dios. The first home was built there in 1957, and the Corporación Minuto de Dios was created in 1958. Over time, the neighborhood developed into a substantial community with cultural and educational facilities, as well as public spaces and religious institutions. Housing remained a central activity; by 2005, the organization said it had built roughly 50,000 homes. In 1961, García Herreros introduced the Banquete del Millón, an annual charity dinner intended to symbolically narrow the distance between wealthy donors and poor beneficiaries. Participants shared a simple meal and contributed to the ministry’s work. The event became a durable fundraising institution and has been held every year since its first edition on November 25, 1961. The organization’s broadcasting capacity expanded alongside its social work. Its Bogotá radio station began operating in 1987, followed by stations serving Cartagena, Medellín, and Barranquilla. Lumen 2000 was created in 1991 as a programadora focused on religious television and later developed into Lumen, a media company involved in television capsules, event production, and large-format printing. Minuto de Dios also diversified into social enterprise, healthcare, HIV/AIDS support, agricultural advice, bookstores, and confectionery production. UNIMINUTO, founded in 1990, became the movement’s principal higher-education platform and extended its social mission to a large student population. Political and public recognition contributed to the ministry’s visibility. Colombian president Belisario Betancur donated his 1983 Prince of Asturias Award prize money to Minuto de Dios and defended its television continuity during periods when Colombian programs were subject to competitive bidding. García Herreros remained the broadcast host until his death in 1992, coinciding with that year’s Banquete del Millón. Diego Jaramillo then succeeded him and continued as the leading presenter and ministry figure. In 2015, the organization commemorated sixty years of television by unveiling a monumental mosaic portrait of its founder. The movement remains active as a religious broadcaster and as a network of charitable, educational, housing, healthcare, and communications initiatives.

1. 2015Sixtieth television anniversary

   A large García Herreros mosaic is unveiled to commemorate six decades of the television program.

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2. 2005Fiftieth-anniversary housing record

   The organization marks its fiftieth anniversary and reports approximately 50,000 constructed housing units.

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3. 1992Leadership passes to Diego Jaramillo

   Jaramillo succeeds García Herreros as the program’s principal host after the founder’s death.

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4. 1991Lumen 2000 begins television production

   Lumen 2000 is established as a programadora for religious public-television content.

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5. 1990UNIMINUTO founded

   The Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios is established in Barrio Minuto de Dios.

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6. 1987Bogotá radio station opens

   The organization establishes its first listed radio station, broadcasting on 107.9 FM in Bogotá.

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7. 1983Prince of Asturias prize donation

   President Belisario Betancur donates the prize money associated with his Prince of Asturias Award to Minuto de Dios.

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8. 1961First Banquete del Millón

   The annual charitable banquet is held for the first time on November 25.

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9. 1958Corporación Minuto de Dios founded

   A formal corporation is established to organize the movement’s growing social programs.

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10. 1957National television debut

    The program begins its enduring national television run on January 10.

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11. 1957First Barrio Minuto de Dios home

    The first home is constructed on land that becomes the Bogotá community of Barrio Minuto de Dios.

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12. 1951Radio ministry resumes in other cities

    After García Herreros’s return from Europe, the program resumes on stations in other Colombian cities.

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13. 1950Daily radio program begins

    Rafael García Herreros launches the Minuto de Dios radio reflection in Cartagena.

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A Catholic service and communications institution combining evangelization with practical social development, especially housing, education, fundraising, community services, and public broadcasting.

• Minuto de Dios television programReligious television1957

  The organization’s signature short-form religious broadcast consists of a brief evening reflection on faith, human dignity, and Christian responsibility toward society. It began on radio in 1950 and moved to national television in 1957. Its continuing transmission across Colombia’s changing broadcast systems made it a landmark television property and the public-facing centerpiece of the wider ministry.

• Banquete del MillónFundraising event1961

  An annual charitable banquet created in 1961 by García Herreros. The event uses a deliberately modest meal to encourage affluent participants to identify with poorer communities while raising funds for Minuto de Dios’s social programs, particularly housing and assistance.

• UNIMINUTOHigher education1990

  The Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios is the movement’s university platform, founded in 1990 in Barrio Minuto de Dios. It extends the organization’s social mission into accessible higher education and has grown into a large institution serving more than 100,000 students, according to the reference material.

• LumenMedia production1991

  Originally established as Lumen 2000, this media operation was created to produce religious programming for public television. It later expanded into event production and large-format printing while continuing to produce Minuto de Dios broadcast capsules.

• Minuto de Dios radio networkRadio broadcasting1987

  The organization operates radio outlets serving Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín, and Barranquilla. The Bogotá station, launched in 1987, is identified as the first of these outlets in the reference material.

• Housing and community developmentSocial development1957

  Housing construction and neighborhood development are foundational Minuto de Dios activities. The work began with Barrio Minuto de Dios in Bogotá and expanded into a broader housing effort that had produced approximately 50,000 units by 2005.

• 2015Sixtieth-anniversary mosaic

  Colombia

  A public commemoration of six decades of television broadcasting centered on a monumental mosaic portrait of García Herreros.

  Outcome. The mosaic was unveiled in the Barrio Minuto de Dios as a permanent tribute to the founder.

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• 1961Banquete del Millón

  Colombia

  An annual fundraising and solidarity event in which affluent participants share a simple meal and support Minuto de Dios social initiatives.

  Outcome. It became a recurring national institution and remains one of the movement’s most recognizable fundraising activities.

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• 1991Creation of Lumen 2000Strategy

  Minuto de Dios required an institutional media vehicle to produce religious programming for Colombia’s public television system.

  What changed. It established Lumen 2000 as a programadora, later developed as Lumen.

  Aftermath. The operation expanded into event production and large-format printing while continuing religious television production.

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• 1990Expansion into higher educationStrategy

  The movement sought to extend its religious and social mission beyond broadcasting and direct assistance.

  What changed. It founded the Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, known as UNIMINUTO.

  Aftermath. UNIMINUTO developed into a major education institution with a large student population.

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• 1957Move from radio to national televisionProduct launch

  The short radio reflection had developed a following in several Colombian cities and was given access to the emerging national television system.

  What changed. Minuto de Dios began a brief weekday evening television transmission on January 10, 1957.

  Aftermath. The television program became the longest-running program in Colombian television history according to the reference material.

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• 2015Minuto de Dios marks the television program’s sixtieth anniversary

  The organization commemorated six decades of television broadcasting by unveiling a large mosaic portrait of García Herreros.

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• 1992Diego Jaramillo succeeds García Herreros as host

  Following García Herreros’s death, Diego Jaramillo became the program’s principal presenter and a leading figure in the ministry.

  Leadership change
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• 1990UNIMINUTO is established

  The movement created the Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios, expanding its work into higher education.

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• 1958Minuto de Dios establishes its social corporation

  The Corporación Minuto de Dios was founded as the institutional base for the movement’s housing and wider social programs.

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• 1957Minuto de Dios television program begins national broadcasting

  The short religious program moved onto Colombia’s national television network and began its long-running evening schedule.

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1. Minuto de Dios
2. Minuto de Dios official website