Wednesday January 7, 2009
This morning’s trip to the University of Central America was the most disturbing aspect of our journey so far. I am not totally clear about all of the specific details, so I picked up a book which will help me fill in the blanks when I get back home. When we arrived we were met by a Jesuit priest, Dean Brackley, who talked briefly to us about the school and El Salvador and we were then placed in the very capable hands of two young people who talked to us about the school and what happened that night.
After midnight on Wednesday November 16th 1989 an elite force of the El Salvadorian Army entered the campus of The University of Central America, some scaled walls and other went directly through the front gate. When they arrived at the residence of the priests, they began pounding very hard on the doors. From inside the soldiers were told to stop trying to break down the door, they would simply let them in. (This is something that had happened before) The soldiers then dragged the 6 Jesuits outside into a garden area behind the residence and BRUTALLY executed them. They then went and destroyed the offices and the work of the priests. One of the slain priest’s bodies was dragged into the office of Jon Sobrino, the other Jesuit priest on Campus who was thankfully out of town on a lecture tour on that night. His office was then riddled with bullets. (I have read a couple of books by Jon Sobrino, and we actually saw him on our way into the campus) While the soldiers were destroying the offices, they heard a muffled cry and discovered two women Elba and Celina, a mother and daughter who were housekeepers on the campus. The only reason that they were there that night was because they were afraid for their safety going home and had asked the priests if they could remain on campus where it would be safe. The soldiers shot them in their room with the daughter clinging to her mother. After the attack was over and the troops began to withdraw, a sound was heard coming from the women’s room, soldiers re-entered the room and found the women still groaning and holding on to each other, they were then finished off in a very brutal fashion. The standing orders were to LEAVE NO WITNESSES.
The husband of the housekeeper was actually the one who found the bodies the next day when he came to the campus concerned that his wife and daughter had not returned home or contacted him. After discovering the scene he went to the Jesuit provincial house which was about a half a block from the school and told them the news: “They killed the padres and my wife and daughter!” After some time had passed, he returned to the campus and planted a rose garden at the site where the slain priest’s bodies were found. The garden is still there today.
The scenes from the photos that we witnessed were horrific, the pictures incredibly graphic. These priests weren’t simply killed because of their ideas, their heads were completely blown apart. There was a consious decision made to not only silence these men, but to utterly destroy the ideas that were in their minds. What was even more haunting for me was that in the museum, there was a display of the bullet torn and blood soaked clothes that the priests were wearing that night. Then, when I actually saw the photos of the crim scene and the priests wearing those same cloths, it was more than I could bear.
No greater love has any person than to give up their life for their brother or sister, and these priests died for only one reason, and that is because they were preaching a gospel of love, hope, forgiveness and resistance against all of the violence and oppression that they were witnessing. These priest’s did not die in vain, their death set off a firestorm around the world which is still being felt today. (Upon our return to the United States I saw that a Spanish Court is handing down indictments in this case, perhaps there will one day be justice for the priests, Elba and Celina) The action taken that night began to turn public opinion, even those who supported the government couldn’t support the murder of priests. This action signaled the beginning of the end of the war.
This morning will take a very long time to process and to get over. I asked our guide, Cesar, “How do you ever recover from such a tragedy?” I’m not sure that the El Salvadorian people have.
We returned back to Los Pinos, our home away from home for lunch and then this afternoon, I have no idea what we are going to do.
5:00 PM
This afternoon we had the opportunity to go to a museum which had a number of interesting displays on the history of El Salvador. The exhibit that I found most interesting was the explanation of the radio network, Radio Vencerenos, which broadcast on the side of the FMLN or Guerrilla Army during the armed conflict. It was interesting to see and understand the impact that this group had during the war. It was especially interesting after seeing the movie “Innocent Voices” and witnessing the roll that the radio station played in the movie. We would ultimately hear a great deal more about this radio station on our journey and ultimately take a tour of its “secure and secret” location maintained in the mountains of Morazan during the war. (The nearby giant crater created by a 1000 lb bomb testifies to the importance placed on this target by the Salvadorian government.) It really is quite a fascinating story of adaptation and ingenuity in the face of overwhelming odds.
We then went and listened to a presentation on HIV AIDS and its devastating effects in El Salvador.
An interesting thing happened after we lift the AIDS presentation, we walked a couple of blocks to visit a Cathedral and upon arriving at the large steel door outside and ringing the bell, someone from the inside opened a little sliding hatch and informed us that the church was closed and that we must come back later. It was actually very similar to a scene right out of “The Wizard of Oz,” where Dorothy arrived at the door of the wizard only to be turned away. I guess we really aren’t in Indiana anymore :)
This evening I believe that the plan is to have dinner and then perhaps to watch the film Romero.
Oh, and one other thing, AHHHHHHHH Our quiet and peaceful Los Pinos has been invaded by 9 High School kids and their leaders. So much for peace and quiet in the evenings.
This morning’s trip to the University of Central America was the most disturbing aspect of our journey so far. I am not totally clear about all of the specific details, so I picked up a book which will help me fill in the blanks when I get back home. When we arrived we were met by a Jesuit priest, Dean Brackley, who talked briefly to us about the school and El Salvador and we were then placed in the very capable hands of two young people who talked to us about the school and what happened that night.
After midnight on Wednesday November 16th 1989 an elite force of the El Salvadorian Army entered the campus of The University of Central America, some scaled walls and other went directly through the front gate. When they arrived at the residence of the priests, they began pounding very hard on the doors. From inside the soldiers were told to stop trying to break down the door, they would simply let them in. (This is something that had happened before) The soldiers then dragged the 6 Jesuits outside into a garden area behind the residence and BRUTALLY executed them. They then went and destroyed the offices and the work of the priests. One of the slain priest’s bodies was dragged into the office of Jon Sobrino, the other Jesuit priest on Campus who was thankfully out of town on a lecture tour on that night. His office was then riddled with bullets. (I have read a couple of books by Jon Sobrino, and we actually saw him on our way into the campus) While the soldiers were destroying the offices, they heard a muffled cry and discovered two women Elba and Celina, a mother and daughter who were housekeepers on the campus. The only reason that they were there that night was because they were afraid for their safety going home and had asked the priests if they could remain on campus where it would be safe. The soldiers shot them in their room with the daughter clinging to her mother. After the attack was over and the troops began to withdraw, a sound was heard coming from the women’s room, soldiers re-entered the room and found the women still groaning and holding on to each other, they were then finished off in a very brutal fashion. The standing orders were to LEAVE NO WITNESSES.
The husband of the housekeeper was actually the one who found the bodies the next day when he came to the campus concerned that his wife and daughter had not returned home or contacted him. After discovering the scene he went to the Jesuit provincial house which was about a half a block from the school and told them the news: “They killed the padres and my wife and daughter!” After some time had passed, he returned to the campus and planted a rose garden at the site where the slain priest’s bodies were found. The garden is still there today.
The scenes from the photos that we witnessed were horrific, the pictures incredibly graphic. These priests weren’t simply killed because of their ideas, their heads were completely blown apart. There was a consious decision made to not only silence these men, but to utterly destroy the ideas that were in their minds. What was even more haunting for me was that in the museum, there was a display of the bullet torn and blood soaked clothes that the priests were wearing that night. Then, when I actually saw the photos of the crim scene and the priests wearing those same cloths, it was more than I could bear.
No greater love has any person than to give up their life for their brother or sister, and these priests died for only one reason, and that is because they were preaching a gospel of love, hope, forgiveness and resistance against all of the violence and oppression that they were witnessing. These priest’s did not die in vain, their death set off a firestorm around the world which is still being felt today. (Upon our return to the United States I saw that a Spanish Court is handing down indictments in this case, perhaps there will one day be justice for the priests, Elba and Celina) The action taken that night began to turn public opinion, even those who supported the government couldn’t support the murder of priests. This action signaled the beginning of the end of the war.
This morning will take a very long time to process and to get over. I asked our guide, Cesar, “How do you ever recover from such a tragedy?” I’m not sure that the El Salvadorian people have.
We returned back to Los Pinos, our home away from home for lunch and then this afternoon, I have no idea what we are going to do.
5:00 PM
This afternoon we had the opportunity to go to a museum which had a number of interesting displays on the history of El Salvador. The exhibit that I found most interesting was the explanation of the radio network, Radio Vencerenos, which broadcast on the side of the FMLN or Guerrilla Army during the armed conflict. It was interesting to see and understand the impact that this group had during the war. It was especially interesting after seeing the movie “Innocent Voices” and witnessing the roll that the radio station played in the movie. We would ultimately hear a great deal more about this radio station on our journey and ultimately take a tour of its “secure and secret” location maintained in the mountains of Morazan during the war. (The nearby giant crater created by a 1000 lb bomb testifies to the importance placed on this target by the Salvadorian government.) It really is quite a fascinating story of adaptation and ingenuity in the face of overwhelming odds.
We then went and listened to a presentation on HIV AIDS and its devastating effects in El Salvador.
An interesting thing happened after we lift the AIDS presentation, we walked a couple of blocks to visit a Cathedral and upon arriving at the large steel door outside and ringing the bell, someone from the inside opened a little sliding hatch and informed us that the church was closed and that we must come back later. It was actually very similar to a scene right out of “The Wizard of Oz,” where Dorothy arrived at the door of the wizard only to be turned away. I guess we really aren’t in Indiana anymore :)
This evening I believe that the plan is to have dinner and then perhaps to watch the film Romero.
Oh, and one other thing, AHHHHHHHH Our quiet and peaceful Los Pinos has been invaded by 9 High School kids and their leaders. So much for peace and quiet in the evenings.
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