“It sounded an alarm to me as an educator, as a university
person, as a Jesuit and as a human being. What happened was
so atrocious and such a public attack on all of these things, we
wanted to do something.” —J. Donald Monan, SJ
The murders that took place at the University of Central America 20 years ago next month were a call to action for many, including BC’s Fr. Monan
By Reid Oslin Chronicle Staff
Twenty years have done nothing to erase the horrific events from the memory of Boston College Chancellor J. Donald Monan, SJ — the murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter in November 1989, on the grounds of the Jesuit community at the University of Central America in El Salvador.
“I return to the full set of events that took place at that time very, very often,” says Fr. Monan, who, as president of Boston College in 1989, worked tirelessly to marshal Jesuits’ response to the murders, urging the United States Congress to pressure the Salvadoran government to bring the killers to justice.
“It sounded an alarm to me as an educator, as a university person, as a Jesuit and as a human being,” Fr. Monan explains. “What happened was so atrocious and such a public attack on all of these things, we wanted to do something.”
Fr. Monan will participate in two events at BC next month that will commemorate the deaths of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Fr. Monan will moderate a program titled “Living Legacies: the 20th Anniversary of the Martyrs of El Salvador,” to be held at 7 p.m. in Gasson 100.
He will be joined by Rodolfo Cardenal, SJ, former vice rector at the University of Central America who lived with the six Jesuits; Elizabeth Lira, a faculty member and director of the Centro de Etica at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile; and US Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), who as an aide to the late US Rep. Joseph Moakley (D-Mass.) was instrumental in reshaping American policy toward the nation where the murders occurred.
McGovern said, “The 20th anniversary of the murder of the Jesuits at the UCA is a time, certainly, for sadness and reflection. But it is also an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the principles of social justice and peace to which they dedicated their lives — and their ministries.
“I am grateful to Boston College for their efforts to remember these incredible men,” McGovern added.
On Nov. 30, Fr. Monan will moderate a discussion with historian Noam Chomsky and University of Central America co-founder Jon Sobrino, SJ — who was away from the Jesuit residence the night of the murders — titled “Memory and Its Strength: The Martyrs of El Salvador.” The event will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Robsham Theater.
Fr. Monan was among a group of Jesuit priests who visited the site of the tragedy soon after the killings occurred. “I was so moved by being on the scene shortly after the murders took place and then returning later for the actual trial,” he says, “and being close to the Jesuit community who in the first instance – right after the murders – really did not know either the perpetrators or what the extent of the attack on them was going to be; whether this was a single horrific incident or whether it was going to be followed up by other attacks on the university and the Jesuits there.
“As the whole process worked its way through the courts and the final verdict, it was just a very moving experience,” he says.
“The [Salvadoran] government was clearly responsible for these atrocious acts,” Fr. Monan maintains. “They certainly have pulled back. They do not have the same type of repressive government. However, there have been no further actions have been taken to bring anyone to justice over what transpired since the trial took place.”
Reid Oslin can be reached at reid.oslin.1@bc.edu
By Reid Oslin Chronicle Staff
Twenty years have done nothing to erase the horrific events from the memory of Boston College Chancellor J. Donald Monan, SJ — the murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter in November 1989, on the grounds of the Jesuit community at the University of Central America in El Salvador.
“I return to the full set of events that took place at that time very, very often,” says Fr. Monan, who, as president of Boston College in 1989, worked tirelessly to marshal Jesuits’ response to the murders, urging the United States Congress to pressure the Salvadoran government to bring the killers to justice.
“It sounded an alarm to me as an educator, as a university person, as a Jesuit and as a human being,” Fr. Monan explains. “What happened was so atrocious and such a public attack on all of these things, we wanted to do something.”
Fr. Monan will participate in two events at BC next month that will commemorate the deaths of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Fr. Monan will moderate a program titled “Living Legacies: the 20th Anniversary of the Martyrs of El Salvador,” to be held at 7 p.m. in Gasson 100.
He will be joined by Rodolfo Cardenal, SJ, former vice rector at the University of Central America who lived with the six Jesuits; Elizabeth Lira, a faculty member and director of the Centro de Etica at Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile; and US Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.), who as an aide to the late US Rep. Joseph Moakley (D-Mass.) was instrumental in reshaping American policy toward the nation where the murders occurred.
McGovern said, “The 20th anniversary of the murder of the Jesuits at the UCA is a time, certainly, for sadness and reflection. But it is also an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the principles of social justice and peace to which they dedicated their lives — and their ministries.
“I am grateful to Boston College for their efforts to remember these incredible men,” McGovern added.
On Nov. 30, Fr. Monan will moderate a discussion with historian Noam Chomsky and University of Central America co-founder Jon Sobrino, SJ — who was away from the Jesuit residence the night of the murders — titled “Memory and Its Strength: The Martyrs of El Salvador.” The event will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Robsham Theater.
Fr. Monan was among a group of Jesuit priests who visited the site of the tragedy soon after the killings occurred. “I was so moved by being on the scene shortly after the murders took place and then returning later for the actual trial,” he says, “and being close to the Jesuit community who in the first instance – right after the murders – really did not know either the perpetrators or what the extent of the attack on them was going to be; whether this was a single horrific incident or whether it was going to be followed up by other attacks on the university and the Jesuits there.
“As the whole process worked its way through the courts and the final verdict, it was just a very moving experience,” he says.
“The [Salvadoran] government was clearly responsible for these atrocious acts,” Fr. Monan maintains. “They certainly have pulled back. They do not have the same type of repressive government. However, there have been no further actions have been taken to bring anyone to justice over what transpired since the trial took place.”
Reid Oslin can be reached at reid.oslin.1@bc.edu
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment