The Loyola University Maryland community is marking the 20th anniversary of the murder of six members of the Jesuit faculty of the University of Central America today with a Mass and commemorative program.
The Jesuit priests at the University of Central America, who were committed to peace and justice for the poor, were violently murdered by military forces in El Salvador on Nov. 16, 1989. The Jesuits' housekeeper and her daughter were also killed. The Loyola community is also remembering three religious sisters and one laywoman who had dedicated their lives to serving people who were marginalized in El Salvador; the American women were raped, mutilated, and murdered on Dec. 2, 1980.
The campus community will memorialize the martyrs at a 12:10 p.m. Mass and with a commemorative program at 7 p.m. this evening. The program, Remembering Our Martyrs from El Salvador, will include an educational video clip about the martyrs' lives and the circumstances in El Salvador, as well as a reflective tribute to honor these men and women. Both events will be held in the Alumni Memorial Chapel and they are free and open to the public.
Loyola University Maryland is remembering the Jesuit martyrs today alongside many other Jesuit schools throughout the world.
Loyola's Center for Community Service and Justice has also placed white crosses on the campus Quad to honor and remember the people who have been killed in Central and South America because of their faith and their commitment to standing up for the rights of those who have no voice. During the month of November, an exhibit dedicated to these martyrs and the thousands of others who have been killed or disappeared in Central and South America, will be on display in the Just Art Gallery in Loyola's Cohn Hall.
For more information or questions regarding this story, contact Media Relations Manager Nick Alexopulos at nalexopulos@loyola.edu or 410-617-5025.