Tuesday, June 24, 2008
SOME ADDITIONAL REFLECTIONS
The following was written to a Lake County, OH News Herald reporter requesting more information on Dorothy.
2005
Cecilia,
Here are some quick thoughts. Yes, I have visited the grave site in El Salvador several times. The first time I went there it was very hard to see how remote the location was and how deserted it seemed. (It is more built up now.) I could imagine the sisters and Jean being driven in the pitch black up a remote path. There was no street, only a path, no lights, and a few adobe huts separated by fields of uncultivated hilly land. I also could imagine the soldiers with their automatic rifles keeping the women prisoners, possibly blaring the radio of the van to keep the women from alerting ANYONE who might be under a dark tree. I could feel the horror of one after another of the churchwomen watching a companion violated and killed. Those feelings accompanied me at the gravesite and I wanted so to pray but nothing would come out of my mouth even though my heart was pouring out the pain they must have felt.
Out of nowhere a pick-up truck approached from farther up what I thought was a deserted hill. In the truck was a priest dressed in a stained white cassock and a group of young adults and teenagers carrying primitive instruments. When they saw us they stopped and inquired about our presence. When we explained that we had come on a pilgrimage to the gravesite of our murdered friends the priest asked if he could lead us in prayer and song. Then the priest and youth from nowhere led us in prayer and song for the murdered women. Off they went as soon as the prayer was finished leaving me with a heart that was on its way to mending after believing that Dorothy had sent us the help we needed. It was my little miracle at the site.
On another visit we stopped at a small store to buy candles to burn in memory of the women. As we made our purchases and explained to the woman behind the counter why we were buying them she referred to the chapel as the "Iglesia de Las Monjas" or the church of the Nuns. It sounded so right to me. Not St. Patrick's church or the Church of St. Francis, but the church of the martyred nuns from the United States killed in El Salvador.
What good can come from something like this? On initial examination it would seem no good but in reality the face of the modern religious woman had become visible in the battered bodies of the Churchwomen. Years after the first stirring of change in religious life the first identifiable models of what had become of the secluded religious woman was produced. That view inspired the President to stop aid to El Salvador and to focus the spotlight of the world on the barbaric situation that existed in El Salvador at that time. Even though the war waged on for 12 more years, the Churchwomen were never forgotten and now a new generation of youth are looking to them and finding new ways to work toward bringing justice and peace to our world.
I hope this helps. Debby may have sent you our press release to give you more information.
Sr. Martha Owen
New Herald
Hello Sister Martha,
I am writing a story about the anniversary of the death of the four Churchwomen for the Lake County News Herald. I was unable to reach you by phone, but Debbie Dimascio gave me your E-mail. It is my understanding you knew Sister Dorothy. I am wondering if you visited the Chapel that was erected in El Salvador, and how you felt..
Also, what are your thoughts of the good, if any,
has come from the martyrdom of the four women. I will probably turn the story in later this afternoon. A reply would be greatly appreciated.
Here are some quick thoughts. Yes, I have visited the grave site in El Salvador several times. The first time I went there it was very hard to see how remote the location was and how deserted it seemed. (It is more built up now.) I could imagine the sisters and Jean being driven in the pitch black up a remote path. There was no street, only a path, no lights, and a few adobe huts separated by fields of uncultivated hilly land. I also could imagine the soldiers with their automatic rifles keeping the women prisoners, possibly blaring the radio of the van to keep the women from alerting ANYONE who might be under a dark tree. I could feel the horror of one after another of the churchwomen watching a companion violated and killed. Those feelings accompanied me at the gravesite and I wanted so to pray but nothing would come out of my mouth even though my heart was pouring out the pain they must have felt.
Out of nowhere a pick-up truck approached from farther up what I thought was a deserted hill. In the truck was a priest dressed in a stained white cassock and a group of young adults and teenagers carrying primitive instruments. When they saw us they stopped and inquired about our presence. When we explained that we had come on a pilgrimage to the gravesite of our murdered friends the priest asked if he could lead us in prayer and song. Then the priest and youth from nowhere led us in prayer and song for the murdered women. Off they went as soon as the prayer was finished leaving me with a heart that was on its way to mending after believing that Dorothy had sent us the help we needed. It was my little miracle at the site.
On another visit we stopped at a small store to buy candles to burn in memory of the women. As we made our purchases and explained to the woman behind the counter why we were buying them she referred to the chapel as the "Iglesia de Las Monjas" or the church of the Nuns. It sounded so right to me. Not St. Patrick's church or the Church of St. Francis, but the church of the martyred nuns from the United States killed in El Salvador.
What good can come from something like this? On initial examination it would seem no good but in reality the face of the modern religious woman had become visible in the battered bodies of the Churchwomen. Years after the first stirring of change in religious life the first identifiable models of what had become of the secluded religious woman was produced. That view inspired the President to stop aid to El Salvador and to focus the spotlight of the world on the barbaric situation that existed in El Salvador at that time. Even though the war waged on for 12 more years, the Churchwomen were never forgotten and now a new generation of youth are looking to them and finding new ways to work toward bringing justice and peace to our world.
I hope this helps. Debby may have sent you our press release to give you more information.
Sr. Martha Owen
New Herald
Hello Sister Martha,
I am writing a story about the anniversary of the death of the four Churchwomen for the Lake County News Herald. I was unable to reach you by phone, but Debbie Dimascio gave me your E-mail. It is my understanding you knew Sister Dorothy. I am wondering if you visited the Chapel that was erected in El Salvador, and how you felt..
Also, what are your thoughts of the good, if any,
has come from the martyrdom of the four women. I will probably turn the story in later this afternoon. A reply would be greatly appreciated.
Cecilia Dolgan
# posted by ClevelandOSU @ 6/24/2008 
