Presente!

45th Anniversary of the Assassination of the U.S. Churchwomen of El Salvador

Kathy Tighe, CSJA, welcomed us to our December 2 service for the 45th anniversary celebration of the churchwomen martyrs of El Salvador saying, “We honor and remember, Ita, Maura, Jean, Dorothy, and Carla, and think of them in a long line of witnesses to the Gospel in Central America, many of whom gave their lives in service to the poor and marginalized. We also hope to be inspired in our own lives by their example. As Jesus did in his time, so also the people we remember today aroused anger in the authorities because their actions demanded justice for the poor and the powerless and like Jesus, they had to be silenced. Sadly, in our times, we still see the suffering of the people of El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Tonight, we raise our voices in song and prayer, to praise and commemorate the Salvadorans and other martyrs, and to declare our solidarity with the poor of the Northern Triangle and elsewhere, both those who suffer within their countries and those who flee violence and seek refuge in neighboring lands, including the United States.”

Claire White, daughter of the late Robert White, former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador.

During our prayer, various speakers proclaimed words of the Churchwomen martyrs and invited all to respond with an enthusiastic, “PRESENTE,” symbolizing their enduring presence among us.  

We were honored to welcome Claire White, daughter of the late Robert White, former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador and friend of these Churchwomen. In speaking of her continuing work for truth and justice in El Salvador and Honduras, Claire shared how she met the CSJs, “In 2015, I was invited to represent my parents at the 35th anniversary in El Salvador, which I wholeheartedly accepted. I met the Sisters of St. Joseph contingent from Boston, we had an instant Boston connection. So here I am reunited with the Sisters of St. Joseph, with whom I traveled for the 35th anniversary of the martyred church women. It was one of the most moving experiences and trips of my entire life.”