"El Salvador is the homeland of Archbishop and Saint Óscar Romero, martyred in 1980 for speaking openly and fervently about God and in the name of God. He was killed while celebrating the Eucharist, after years of ministering as a good shepherd who truly knew the sorrows of his sheep. El Salvador is also the land of Fr. Rutilio Grande, SJ, another courageous witness murdered for standing with the poor and in the place of the poor—where systems hide those deemed “worthless” and where true precariousness prevails. In that Central American country, the ruling regime also took the lives of some religious sisters, martyred for preaching and living according to the Gospel. Without hesitation, the military likewise killed six Jesuits who lived their faith and taught theology at the José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA). Along with many other brothers and sisters, they were all martyred for affirming that God desires justice, love, and peace—that the Reign of God stands in opposition to oppression and war. They were killed because they refused to be indifferent when poverty crushes, when the poor disappear, and when weapons relentlessly destroy the lives of the people. They were murdered to remove them from the path, because the Truth gets in the way. The blood of these brothers has much to say to us today, as we continue to live with indifference in the face of the cries of the oppressed. God continues to call the entire Catholic Church to build the Reign in this very earth (cf. Gaudium et Spes, n. 39)."
- Luis Donaldo González, Th.M. '24, Ph.D. student
"There is something about encountering a scar-bearing body that does not leave you unchanged. Archbishop Romero knew this well as he declared in one of his homilies: “A Christianity that does not touch the reality of human suffering is a barren Christianity.” It is another way of urging: See their hands, touch their wounds! Truly, the way to recognize Jesus today is to approach, touch, and experience “la realidad” of those who suffer (Matt 25:35-36). Seeing and touching the faith and struggle of our Salvadoran brothers and sisters renews my reason to study theology and prepare for ministry. What do I strive to hold at the heart of my professional and academic formation? It is nothing other than my faithful love and service of Christ, who brings the whole of human existence into the very heart of the Trinity, to heal it, to uphold it, to bring us to the full manifestation of who we truly are." - Adriana Sepulveda Ramirez, M.Div. '28
"As Pope Leo calls the world to pray for peace, I was reminded of this piece of art, found in the Museum of Word and Image in El Salvador. It was created by a child who was exposed to the horrors of the Salvadoran Civil War and its ongoing consequences, and who knew only too well the reality that war is never justified or righteous. This art and the testimonies of the people we encountered while there serve as a reminder that we must never forget our histories, lest we repeat their consequences. Let me pray that we can remember the horrors of war and the devastating impacts it has had on people of every age and culture."
- Katie Dutton, M.Div. '28
"I was shocked at how commonplace death was for the people of El Salvador. This monument to the number of people killed by years of homicides stood to show why it was so normative for them. And yet, they were all still full of hope, like the flowers growing out from the top of this wall that commemorated the deaths of their loved ones. They believed in a renewal of life after death." - Nicholas Miles, M.T.S. '25, Th.M. '26
"One of the most striking moments of our trip was when we met Lenora Lemus, the younger sister of Nelson Lemus, the 16 year old boy who was martyred alongside Rutilio Grande, S.J. and Manuel Solórzano. We met Lenora selling sweets and breads at a roadside stand in El Paisnal, across the street from the church where her brother's remains are interred. It was such an extraordinary contrast of past and present. We prepared for our trip by studying articles and speeches of the past given by Oscar Romero and Rutilio Grande, among others, but nothing jolted me into the present so clearly as meeting Lenora and hearing how deeply that past shaped her present. I am so grateful to her for sharing her story with us and our moment of graced encounter with her in El Paisnal."
- Christine Church, M.A./M.S.W. '26