Different events in our lives mark us in different ways.
Some people never forget where they were...
...when the war started (which war....)
...when Kennedy was shot
...when Neil Armstrong took that small but giant step on the moon
...when the space shuttle exploded
...when planes were used as weapons of mass destruction on 9/11
...when Katrina struck
...when...
...when...
...when I heard about... and my world changed forever
Some things happen and change the way we remember, change the way we look at ourselves or others, change the way we mark time: before and after
What's your WHEN?
Monday, November 22, 2010
Changed Forever: Remembering the Martyrs of El Salvador
Thirty years ago, a terrible tragedy took place in El Salvador. When four church women were brutally assassinated, it touched our lives in unforgettable ways.
The missioners were killed in December 1980. I became a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in September 1981 (and later a Maryknoll Sister in 1986). Joining Maryknoll at that time was deeply linked with the events in El Salvador that had taken place the year before: the murder of Archbishop Romero, the tragic death in a flashflood of Sister Carla Piette, the abduction, violation and killing of Cleveland Lay Missioner Jean Donovan, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Maryknollers Maura Clarke and Ita Ford.
Danger and violence in Central America were the symbols of risk in commitment for younger generations of missioners, much the same way that suffering in China symbolized the call to mission for earlier Christians.
I invite you to join with us in remembering the martyrs in El Salvador and allowing their memory to stir your own commitment to service to the Gospel. We have a number of features on our website so that you can learn more about what happened and what it means for us today.
The missioners were killed in December 1980. I became a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in September 1981 (and later a Maryknoll Sister in 1986). Joining Maryknoll at that time was deeply linked with the events in El Salvador that had taken place the year before: the murder of Archbishop Romero, the tragic death in a flashflood of Sister Carla Piette, the abduction, violation and killing of Cleveland Lay Missioner Jean Donovan, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Maryknollers Maura Clarke and Ita Ford.
Danger and violence in Central America were the symbols of risk in commitment for younger generations of missioners, much the same way that suffering in China symbolized the call to mission for earlier Christians.
I invite you to join with us in remembering the martyrs in El Salvador and allowing their memory to stir your own commitment to service to the Gospel. We have a number of features on our website so that you can learn more about what happened and what it means for us today.
During the coming week, there will be other news and
features on our home page: www.maryknollsisters.org
features on our home page: www.maryknollsisters.org
Thank you for joining with us in remembering, praying, and pressing
on with the work of our beloved martyrs: making God’s love visible to the
poor, accompanying those who struggle for justice, responding to the urgent
needs of our world.
on with the work of our beloved martyrs: making God’s love visible to the
poor, accompanying those who struggle for justice, responding to the urgent
needs of our world.
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