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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 León, pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Nueva Concepción, 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#
And even more events lined up for the anniversary
And this Mass for the US Catholic women will be celebrated by cardinal @jesuitczerny in Rome (h/t @RomeroTrust)
The last three days have been exhausting, mostly because I’ve been trailing the local bishop through a geographically expansive diocese. This rural setting is where the #maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maureen Clarke served in their last days
During the war. the massacre of catechists, Catholic lay ministers in this area is astounding. Many churches have monuments like this one where they list the lay Catholics killed. This was an area St Oscar Romero liked to visit, often because this is where the poor lived
As many observe this year what they consider the 1980 martyrdom of #Maryknoll sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and laywoman Jean Donovan ... some ask: should a canonization cause be opened for them? http://licatholic.org/some-say-its-time-to-discern-sainthood-for-u-s-women-slain-40-years-ago/?fbclid=IwAR2OdcJFEEwUhCsW2XqUNVZtjn0GTk0rCq41LEj5ytIaycsAL0jnWX_laL0
Just interviewed Felipe Abrego of the diocese, who’s helping decorate the tombs of #maryknolls sisters Ita Ford, Maura Clarke and Carla Pierre, buried here in Chalatenango
Piette, not Pierre 
Abrego said that even though he wasn't born when they were assassinated, he grew up knowing about the sisters during procession and other youth activities to learn about the martyrs of his diocese of Chalatenango
"it was an act of courage... anyone else who wasn't from here could have easily left but they renounced everything and risking their lives for their work here in Chalatenango.."
“They are an example for us to follow” he said the four US Catholic women who will be remembered here tomorrow on the 40th anniversary of their assassination
A group has gathered by the tombs of the #maryknoll sisters on the eve of the 40 th anniversary of their martyrdom. The bishop came to bless alone to avoid crowds gathering but a group walked in as he was leaving and they asked him to stay
Here’s tiny clip of the group gathered singing by the sisters’ tomb
and the pope weighs in: https://twitter.com/Cindy_Wooden/status/1334087137453608961?s=20
Some priests have started arriving at tomb of the maryknoll sisters with photos of their local martyrs, only three folks per parish to try to maintain some distance
Folks are bringing gifts for the ceremony at the tomb of the sisters, photos of martyrs, flowers, books about Salvadoran Catholics killed during the conflict and believed to be martyrs
Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez, of San Salvador, has arrived for the ceremony for the US women buried here in Chalatenango
It really is a little unusual to see women so prominent in these church circles and yet there they are surrounding El Salvador’s iconic St Oscar Romero at Chalatenango’s St John the Baptist cathedral (see column at right)
Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez, Bishops Constantino of Sonsonate, William Iraheta, of Santiago de maria, and Chalatenango’s local Bishop Oswaldo Escobar will concelebrate closing the country’s jubilee year of Salvadoran martyrs, which includes the US women
It’s hard to see but in the columns there are photos of martyrs including the #jesuit UCA martyrs and companions, soon-to-be-beatified Franciscan Fr Cosme Spessotto, jesuit Rutilio Grande and other Salvadoran priests considered martyrs
The cardinal said the martyrs are “those who walk in the footprint of Jesus”
Offertory gifts included fruits from this agricultural region, as well as flowers, books of the lives of the martyrs and images of the martyrs represented in banners locals carried into the cathedral. Most prominent: the Catholic women from the US
Now Fr Alfredo Rivera, who knew the sisters, speak about the women “inspired by Oscar Romero”
He also knew Maryknoll Sr Carla Piette and was with her when a flash flood carried away the car they were in. Sr Carla died and also is buried here
He said he would ask the sisters how they were doing and they said the situation was “delicate” but “we need to help the poor” they told Fr rivera
