Winding their way up and down bumpy roads through small mountain communities lush with vegetation, parishioners from Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights traveled to El Salvador this spring to be in solidarity with the Salvadoran people once again.
The church and its pastor, Jesuit Father Mike Kennedy, have maintained a long-term commitment to support efforts by the Salvadoran people to rebuild their lives and their towns following a brutal civil war (1980-1992) and a devastating earthquake (2001).
The most recent visit saw commemorations marking 25 years since the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of San Salvador, a champion of human rights and social justice.
For Dolores Mission parishioners, the week-long journey crisscrossing the tiny Central American country was about consciousness raising, solidarity, healing, hope and community development. It was about reconnecting with people who once lived as war refugees in neighboring countries, then repatriated to El Salvador to begin anew, and now continue to strive together.
"You could feel the spirit of Romero alive still," said Father Kennedy. "A spirit where people are willing to still work collectively in spite of all the problems. God is community."
The travelers visited the residents of Guarjila in Chalatenango, where --- reminiscent of Biblical tribes when a community journeyed together --- the people sought safety as a group during the war by relocating to the other side of the mountains in Honduras. Several years later, their destinies bound together, they returned to their homeland, with support from the international community including Father Kennedy, who was then working for Jesuit Refugee Services.
"Pure faith is what sustains people. Faith that something will change," reflected Elias Puentes of Dolores Mission on hearing the stories of how people survived a civil war caused by severe structural poverty and fueled by Cold War tensions.
Dolores Mission visited residents of Pequeña Inglaterra, near San Salvador, where they previously helped raised funds to build homes and now are donating money towards a community center. A humble yet vibrant parish, Dolores Mission also raised $15,000 to retrain workers maimed by war in carpentry skills and other trades.
The support is mutual. Many Angelenos fighting for social justice look to the writings of Archbishop Romero for inspiration. Prior to the trip, Dolores Mission parishioners wrote petitions which were delivered to Archbishop Romero's tomb in the Cathedral of San Salvador.
"The spirituality of Monseñor Romero is personal transformation and to look out for the poor," said Arturo Lopez, pastoral assistant. "This includes the wealthy, who can share and understand the necessities of the marginalized." |