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: December 2 will be 40 years since a group of Catholic women from the U.S. were murdered in El Salvador, joining more than 70,000 Salvadorans, killed during the country’s civil war. Their names: Maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke; Ursuline Dorothy Kazel &Jean Donovan
I’ll add to this (thread) some reporting and a series of stories I’ll be writing about the anniversary.
some reporting and a series of stories I’ll be writing about the anniversary.
Earlier this year I happened to visit the cemetery where two of them (both Maryknolls) are buried in Chalatenango, El Salvador — a place that now celebrates the Catholic martyrs of Chalatenango (their locality) on the day they were killed
This week I spoke with Fr Manuel Acosta of @UCA_ES, a theologian who lives in Chalatenango, and has been at celebrations that have kept alive their memory since the 1980s
Next week, I’ll have a story about how they view the women, not just as martyrs but saints. “They came to incarnate in Salvadoran reality, they came to become poor here, they came to be persecuted..” Father Acosta said.
“they came to endure what all the poor endured at that time, which was persecution.” Keep an eye on this thread, where I’ll post more next week.
The first of several stories I'll have on the U.S. Catholic women assassinated in #ElSalvador 40 years ago this December ran today at our client @CathStandard & focuses on a region where the two #Maryknoll sisters worked & are remembered as local martyrs. https://cathstan.org/news/us-world/forty-years-after-killings-salvadoran-city-claims-maryknoll-sisters-as-its-own
"They were loved. They were good sisters," recalled Father Marcos Tulio LeĂłn, pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Nueva ConcepciĂłn, of the Maryknoll Sisters from the U.S. who were assassinated 40 years ago this year and whom the region of Chalatenango remembers each Dec. 2
The Diocese of Chalatenango has, in fact, declared the day of the deaths, Dec. 2, as the Day of the Martyrs of Chalatenango, when they remember the Catholic catechists, priests, nuns, religious killed in the region during the country's civil conflict, with a Mass and procession
"They (the women) came to embody the Salvadoran reality, they came here to be poor, to be persecuted, they came to endure what all the poor endured at that time, which was persecution," said Father Manuel Acosta.
"They left their culture, they left their comfort, and they came here to live the daily life of the poor. Then, they were washed away by rivers. They were subjugated to (police) searches many times, until they were killed,” he continued.
Chalatenango -- poor, rural and whose residents were often suspected of siding with leftist rebels -- often was the target of bombings and massacres during the country's 1980-1992 war. More than 50 massacres are believed to have taken place there.
After Archbishop Oscar Romero asked the order to increase its presence, even as war started, among the hungry, exploited masses of predominantly Catholic Chalatenango, Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford were sent to lead Bible study groups
Though Jean Donovan and Ursuline Sister Kazel, who were killed with the Maryknolls, lived in another part of the country, they often traveled to Chalatenango, meeting and organizing with the Maryknollers to transport food, medicine and sometimes wounded children to safety.
Just got some photos from Diocese of #Chalatenango, El Salvador at a local cemetery where 2 #maryknoll sisters martyred 40 years ago this Dec. 2 are buried. Several of the country’s bishops will gather there next month to honor them.
because the pandemic put a stop to the country's observation of the jubilee year of martyrs, marking 1980 martyrdoms of St. Oscar Romero, Fr. Cosme Spessotto, and local catechists, they will use celebration of #maryknolls as "closing" of the year of martyrs
bishop said as they're cleaning graves today, he noticed the c in the cross so it will be changed to correctly reflect the spelling. He will bless the graves on Dec. 2
they will also remember all the U.S. Catholic women assassinated that day. In Chalatenango, #Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, but Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and lay missionary Jean Donovan also were killed that day. Their bodies were brought back to U.S.
if you don't know much about these Catholic women from the U.S., considered martyrs in El Salvador, let me recommend third video on this page from @RomeroTrust: http://www.romerotrust.org.uk/videos . It's called "Roses in December"
and if no one here tells my mother ... I'm hoping to be able to go to El Salvador in two weeks to check in on some friends and projects and hop over to Chalatenango for the celebrations, which will be scaled down because of Covid
but earlier this year, I wrote this story about what they mean in a place like Chalatenango, El Salvador, a place I visited in January. Here's my story about it https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/09/04/forty-years-after-killings-salvadoran-city-claims-maryknoll-sisters-its-own
Received a couple of more events for 40th anniversary of US Catholic women in El Salvador. Also taking suggestions for a hashtag. This seems to be for a webinar by #maryknolls
Also, from the Conference of Religious in England and Wales: a service for them Dec. 2 at 7 pm (UK time)
there's a priest I've heard about who knew them when he was a seminarian. He's been a bit sick but I will do my best to try to get a little vid for y'all about his experience with them. Getting a long mic for my phone to be able to shoot some video safely
And here's another link to another event to remember #USCatholicWomenElSalvador40 https://twitter.com/nimperatori/status/1326978790929670145?s=20
and here's another opportunity to learn more about four #Catholic women from the U.S. martyred in El Salvador, this from from Duke Divinity School and the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church https://duke.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8ylnbKwqRw-396A18jdyJA
As a result of this thread, I was able to come into contact with @MelissaAltman9, a #maryknoll missioner who helped with the mural of the four US Catholic women assassinated in El Salvador 40 yrs ago next week. And here's the result of that conversation https://www.ucanews.com/news/maryknoll-lay-missioner-continues-work-of-martyred-us-catholic-women/90393#
