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Central
America pilgrimage 2005
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25th
Anniversary
of the Martyrdom of
Archbishop
Oscar A. Romero,
Metropolitan
of El Salvador |
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March
2005 was the 25th Anniversary of the
assassination of Archbishop Oscar A. Romero.
Archbishop Romero was an advocate for the poor,
the oppressed, and the "disappeared"
during the military dictatorship in El
Salvador. Monsignor Thomas attended the
anniversary observances in El Salvador.
The observances included ceremonies, lectures,
and tours of the capital city of San
Salvador.
Monsignor
was an attendee of the
Global
Awareness Through Experience Program (GATE)
based out of Lacrosse, Wisconsin and offered by
the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual
Adoration.
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The Sisters have developed
several programs for adults desiring to
personally experience the third world through
travels in Central America. Participants live,
eat and see the world from the eyes of
indigenous peoples; their plight in recovering
their dignity and economic growth. Visits with
human rights organizations and religious working
within the community help to expand the
attendee's knowledge and experience at ground
level.
For experiences with the Global Awareness
Through Experience Program (GATE), contact Sr.
Maria Friedman at (608) 791-5283 or visit
their website.
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Right:
Monsignor
donating 150 rosaries to the sister at the
chapel of the Cancer Hospital in San
Salvador. It was at the chapel altar
(seen in the background) that Archbishop Romero was assassinated
while saying mass.
The
rosaries had been blessed by Monsignor
during Easter mass at the Immaculate Heart
of Mary parish in Minnesota.
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Above:
Monsignor Thomas donating
rosaries to the Cancer Hospital
in San Salvador.
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Right:
Monsignor with Alicia Garcia, whose husband
and two children were all lost to the civil war in El
Salvador (1977 to 1992).
As
death squads roamed the country during those
years, many mothers came to Alicia with their
own stories of disappeared family members.
The women checked jails, prisons, and
graveyards, but could learn nothing of the
whereabouts of their missing loved ones.
Archbishop Romero gathered these searching and
determined women together to share their pain, continue searching for unmarked graves, and
hold the government accountable for its human
rights abuses. This group of women became
the organization COMADRES:
Committee of Mothers and Relatives of Political Prisoners, Disappeared and Assassinated of El Salvador
(website).
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| Above:
Monsignor
Thomas with Alicia Garcia, one of the founders of
COMADRES. |
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The
women succeeded in bringing international
attention to the the situation in El
Salvador. They were so successful that the
dictatorship saw them as a threat. To
break their will, the government tortured many
of the mothers (including Alicia). The
women persisted despite the the brutality they
suffered.
Now
that the civil war in El Salvador has ended,
financial, political, and moral support from
abroad has all but disappeared, even though the
COMADRES' work still continues. Neither
justice nor closure has come for the women of
COMADRES.
Monsignor Thomas has provided
financial support to COMADRES. Along with
other benefactors, this financial support will
enable the women of COMADRES to continue their
work and to receive three years of group
psychological counseling. Please pray for the women
of COMADRES and their loved ones. You,
too, can contribute financially to their work.
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