Hard to believe it's already been 27 years: Maura Clark, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel, and Jean Donovan, four U.S. women (three sisters, one lay woman) were raped and murdered by members of the security forces in El Salvador, where they had thrown in their lot with the poor.There are biographies of the four women here at the Interreligious Task Force on Central America.
A service of remembrance which any group may use is here. There is a PDF version here.
The U.S. Senate (thank you, Russ Feingold) passed a resolution this week commemorating the four women.
[I will post some pertinent quotes and/or prayers tomorrow.]
Jane, thanks for this remembrance. These were true women of God.
ReplyDeleteRuss Feingold for president!
A nightmare, with flashbacks, while it was happening--the whole Central American thing, from Carter through the present. Somewhere in the middle I heard being in Vietnam might have lasting effects. Wondering what sort of idea this might be, I wandered after it, and engaged it in conversation.
ReplyDeleteSuch martyrs of U S thuggery are hard for me to deal with, mostly emotionally, I think, for I've usually been with the "correct" view, but too afraid to be a martyr, even to prison.
Has it been 27 years already? Then I guess it was the 5th anniversary when I worshiped with some family members in a memorial service at Riverside in NYC, with Bill Coffin presiding. Thanks for reminding us.
ReplyDeletePresente!
To me, it seems too short a time, what with all the repetitions and precedents; the wound seems fresh and open.
ReplyDeleteAnd so remote: what had they to do with these powers posturing for a display, nothing more; no, nor ever then, being burned as a crowd in El Mozote: who cared?
But done in our name.
Where shall we flee the wrath to come?