Remembering the martyrs

Nov. 12, 2014

Nov. 16 marks the 25th anniversary of the murder of six Jesuits and two laypersons in El Salvador. In the Association of Jesuit Colleges and University's latest edition of Connections you'll find a piece by Joe Orlando, assistant vice president for mission an ministry, on how SU is commemorating the anniversary. Following is a list of the masses and other events taking place over the next few days.

On Thursday, Nov. 13, Peter Ely, S.J., vice president for mission and ministry, will celebrate a campus-wide liturgy in the Chapel of St. Ignatius.  The liturgy will include a special remembrance of each of the eight martyrs using their words and writings; members of the Jesuit community and two women colleagues will lie down in the sanctuary as each martyr is recognized. Two guests from our sister Jesuit school, the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Nicaragua will be among those individuals to represent the martyrs during the liturgy.

That same evening (Nov. 13), the Office of Mission and Ministry will host the Maguire Lecture, which annually brings together students, faculty, staff and friends of the University to focus on our commitment to justice. The featured speaker will be Serena Cosgrove, SU alumna and faculty member in Matteo Ricci College. Cosgrove was in El Salvador at the time of the assassinations. She will speak on the legacy of the martyrs and how they continue to inspire us today.

Friday, Nov. 14, Fr. Sundborg, Cosgrove, student body president Eric Sype and others will travel to El Salvador to participate in the weekend events on campus at Universidad Centroamericana in El Salvador and join in solidarity with other delegations from all over the world.

The university's annual Ignatian Retreat for Faculty and Staff will be taking place with the theme of "In Our Midst as One Who Serves." The two visitors from UCA Nicaragua will offer Spanish-language spiritual direction to some of our retreatants. Ignacio Lange, S.J., and Patricia Suarez will lead the retreat community in prayer on the morning of the actual anniversary on Sunday, Nov. 16.

That Sunday evening, a final liturgy to commemorate the anniversary will be held in the Chapel of St. Ignatius. A candlelight vigil at the conclusion of the liturgy will be held at the "Bowl of Tears" memorial in the garden outside Pigott. Created in 1997 by Sandra Zeiset Richardson, the sculpture is dedicated to the martyrs.

Pictured above: The "Bowl of Tears" in a garden outside Pigott honors the memory of the eight Salvadoran martyrs.