On the night on Nov. 16, 1989, a battalion of the Salvadoran military entered the University of Central America, broke into the Jesuit Community and murdered six Jesuits, along with their housekeeper and her 16-year-old daughter.
These Jesuits died because they made being for and with the poor of El Salvador a central part of the university’s mission. Through their teaching, preaching, university administration, and ministry, they offered intentional accompaniment and explicit support to El Salvador’s poor and oppressed population, which had long suffered under military oppression and the rule of wealthy landowners.
Next week, the Mission and Ministry division will host a pair of events to remember and honor the martyrs.
The campus community is invited to a Mass commemorating the martyrs at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, in St. Joan of Arc Chapel.
Then, a faculty and staff panel at Soup with Substance on Wednesday, Nov. 18, will explore lessons from the UCA martyrs for Marquette, as a community dedicated to living a faith that does justice, and the consequences of that night still being faced today. The event is titled “UCA Martyrs Today: Standing Up to Injustice” and will take place in AMU 252 from noon to 12:50 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
Prayer
May the courageous example of the Jesuit Martyrs and their companions encourage us in our quest for respect and equal rights for all men and women. May what they were striving to achieve for the poor and the oppressed—their rights as human persons—strengthen us in our efforts to promote a world where peace, justice and love mark relationships among all peoples and between nations. And may all of us experience Christ as Liberator, as the martyrs did, from our prejudices, fears and narrow opinions so that we can be dialogical and respectful of others’ viewpoints for greater unity in our homes, families, cities, nation and globally. And so we pray:
Martyr Ignacio Ellacuria, S.J., pray for us
Martyr Ignacio Martin-Baro, S.J., pray for us
Martyr Segundo Montes, S.J., pray for us
Martyr Juan Ramon Moreno, S.J., pray for us
Martyr Joaquin Lopez Y Lopez, S.J., pray for us
Martyr Amando Lopez, S.J., pray for us
Martyr Elba Ramos, pray for us
Martyr Celina Ramos, pray for us
AMEN
