Sisters of Charity Volunteer Service Trip
El Salvador May 11-21, 2008
The experience of the volunteer service trip to El Salvador is hard to put into words. I have always dreamed of organizing a collaborative trip with Young Adults, Seton Associates and Sisters of Charity. This trip was my dream come true, and more!
On May 11, 2008, Sr. Deborah Humphreys, Seton Associates Glen and Jackie Crane, CSE 2008 Graduate Peggy McIntyre, CSE Junior Laura Munoz and Montclair State University Senior, Josie Donnellon and I left in the wee hours of the morning to embark on our pilgrimage and service trip together.
Sr. Peggy O’Neill met us at the Centro Arte para la Paz in Suchitoto that became our home for the next ten days. God arranged for young women also in Suchitoto to become part of our rag tag group. Emily, Kelly and Susan were fellow pilgrims and ministers with us. The Center is the home for a variety of activities and projects too numerous to mention in this article, but I will describe a few. Our first two days were spent painting the bathrooms, dining room, foyer and pedestals for the upcoming art exhibit. Some of these areas were adobe and therefore whitewash had to be used rather than normal paint. Whitewash requires at least three to four coats before it begins to show up. Our labors were rewarded when sculptor Napoleon Alberto’s exhibit opened the following Sunday. His beautiful artwork was exhibited on the pedestals and many visitors entered through the newly painted foyer. Napoleon is now 93, he began sculpting at 46. He was educated to the First Grade and has been blind in one eye for many years due to an accident. He has never taken an art lesson. His God given natural talent developed by teaching himself and through a mentor. Once he became a recognized artist he taught at the university for many years.
Our trip to El Sitio by boat was an adventure I will never forget! Along the way we stopped at the site of the Copapya Massacre. Rogelio, now a married man of 35 and a father of three children, told the story of the massacre of the entire village that happened 25 years ago. He was 10 years old and the only survivor. He witnessed the massacre of his entire family and village, saying that his escape was the result of God’s intervention. No words can express the experience of hearing his sharing, his silence and tears and his mysterious gratitude and joy for his life.
Our time in El Sitio was both a challenge and a grace. I was very aware of being stretched and blessed as I lived, ate, prayed, played, cried, laughed and learned with the people there. What was once a wilderness is now home to numerous houses, a school, a church, a library and a fish farm! The village is raising Tilapia, which was caught fresh and served to us the day we arrived. You may recall a few years ago, Sr. Peggy taking up a collection at Congregation Day for the Church to be built there.
These people live off the land, close to the earth, making each meal fresh from the eggs in the chicken coup, grinding the corn and making tortillas, and frying the beans just before sitting down to eat. Theirs is a simple, joyful life where God, family, friends and hard work are really all that matters. Their suffering through the war will never be forgotten because they are committed to honoring those who gave their lives in the struggle for justice and freedom from oppression. They do not deny their suffering, but their suffering has not led them to bitterness, despair or resentment. Rather it is their living with loving and joyful hearts that they honor those who gave their lives.
We met with the Directiva who explained their roles as organizers of the compo. We came bearing our gifts for the women, brand new make up for Mother’s Day and candy for the children. We helped out in the school and visited the library. The children were so happy! They were excited by the opportunity to dance the Hokey Pokey with us, which is a great way to review their English. Their joy in playing soccer is contagious and a common language is not necessary when having fun. You may also recall the collection of money, pencils, paper, crayons, etc. that filled the school bus Sr. Peggy drove down there many years ago. The bus is there still bearing the name Santa Isabel.
The letting go of the middle class American creature comforts that I have become very accustomed to amongst the spiders, bugs, outhouse visits, outdoor cold water shower, 100 degree weather and no fans and air conditioning was not easy. It didn’t make any sense to me that when it came time to return to Suchitoto I didn’t want to leave El Sitio.
Once again no words can express the experiences there. I left with silence, tears, gratitude and joy.
The next few days we worked at the center again planting trees. Our trip to the Capitol to visit the site of Oscar Romero’s death and the murder of the Jesuits and their housekeeper and daughter was difficult and painful. There is no doubt in the hearts of the people that these men and women are saints in Eternity. I stand in awe at their courage, commitment and love. On the way home from these heart rendering visitations, a visit to a pottery co-op brought a much needed lift. The men and women who create the pottery - bowls, mugs, plates, vases etc. are physically challenged, some are in wheelchairs, some with minimal or no use of limbs and muscles. Their limitations cannot prevent their God given creativity from flowing through them into beautiful works of art! Hope is reborn in my heart through these people and once again there are no words to describe the experience. The day ended in silence, tears, gratitude and joy.
Spending time with the Seton Associates from El Salvador, Rosa, Celina and Eva, and their families was a highlight of our trip. Witnessing the historic meeting of Seton Associates from El Salvador and from NJ for the first time was poignant, moving and joyful. We visited Copapya Nuevo, traveling there Salvadoran style, standing side by side in the back of a pick up truck. There we spent the day with Rosa’s and Eva’s families. Two men from the compo entertained us with their music and songs that spoke of their history. Our last night in Suchitoto, we visited Celina’s family. We were treated like it was Christmas, with gifts and a special dessert.
Sr. Peggy brought us to her home in Suchitoto across the street from the Center. Displayed on one of the walls is a creative expression done by one of her students. A reflection of her learning, based on Revelation 7: 17: “…and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” This student boldly proclaims, “Woe to you who enter with dry eyes!” Sr. Peggy led us, along with Rosa, Celina and Eva, in our final reflection in prayer and memories of our time together. So many stories shared of lost family members, being raised by grandparents, recovering mentally, physically and emotionally from the war, and the struggle out of poverty for a better life, the hope, courage and strength of the people we met. Each of us questioned ourselves, “What is God calling me to through this experience?” That remains to be revealed. For me, personally, I know that a new meaning to being a follower of Jesus Christ and a Sister of Charity is wet eyes. Eyes wet with tears - tears of shared joys and laughter and tears of shared suffering and pain.
Sr. Pat Dotzauer
SC Volunteer Director
gathering stones
my attention drawn away
cinders in my shoe
Or questions. Stones fascinate me. In Ireland I begin to wonder if each county has its own special stone. Donegal has the bleach-white round eggs called durlings, In County Clare, there is the smooth slate that looks like books lined on a shelf and Tipperary has rose-hued clay pebbles along the cow paths through the Galtee Vee. In Glashú, Gaoth Dobhair, I see how the stones are piled to make strong fences along the water where winds rip and tear. I hear in that wind one generation teaching another: you may think the wall is strong by making the fence tight with stones, but no. It is allowing spaces for wind to come through that diffuse its fury. This is what preserves the fence. A simple wisdom of design. A way to live as well.
This May in El Salvador, I see stones here, too—red bricks as familiar to me as the walls of Newark tenements, fading slogans seeping into the bricks.. Some walls, scarred, chipped-off stucco revealing deeper older walls, wounds High walls in rich neighborhoods where the grandchildren of the "13 Families" live their quiet protected lives. At the top of these walls embedded in the cement are pieces of sharp glass. In Suchitoto, named the cultural capital of the country, cobblestone roads appear as charming as the plaza, the cathedral, the art galleries and outdoor Sunday morning market. I learn that the cobblestones functions to slow down the military when they invade. Visitors might hear, be tempted to believe that the civil war ended in 1992, but peaceful demonstrators against the privatization of water were jailed as terrorists in July 2007. The Suchitoto 14. The charges are dropped by the Salvadoran court in April. In May, the youngest of the group, Hector Antonio Ventura, is murdered here in Valle Verde.
mosaics of stone
art you can walk on, reflect
dulce et util
Deborah L. Humphreys SC
Experience in El Salvador – Glen
The experience of being in El Salvador with Sr. Pat Dotzauer and her group of volunteers was truly wonderful and full of surprises. I could list some of the surprises like the near 100 degrees each day, the cold water showers, the occasional outdoor toilet, some new and larger varieties of insects and bugs, etc., but the pleasant surprises far out numbered the few slightly uncomfortable things. For instance, the lovely smile on the faces of the children of all ages where ever you saw them. Or the adults who would smile and say hello as you walked on the streets in Suchitoto or the dirt roads of El Sitio. Or the great reception of everyone at the school in El Sitio. Or the joy of meeting fellow members of the Seton Associates and sharing meals with their extended families. Or the admiration for the people of the village of El Sitio who constructed a church and a school, started a library, and built a fish farm and a chicken and egg business. Or the delight in sharing the home of Veronica Torres and her two daughters in El Sitio. Or of sharing the sorrow of the many older family members as they told us of the loss of family members during their war. Or the admiration of Sr. Peggy O’Neill as she worked tireless to improve living conditions for so many through individual and group efforts. Or the horror we felt at the sites where priests and many others were murdered by those who disagreed with them over human rights. Or the fun of watching some of our fellow travelers duck the bats that often flew over head during dinner. Even the work of cleaning, painting and planting trees at the Center for the Arts and Peace was enjoyable because we could see the benefits before we left.
Would I do it again? In a minute. Would I recommend it? Yes, to anyone any one who wants to see Christ in the faces of people of another country.
Glen Crane – Seton Associate
I don’t know what I expected to find in El Salvador but I certainly was in for some surprises. From the beginning things happened that showed me the great love of these beautiful people.
Waiting for our ride from the airport in San Salvador we could see the joy that seemed to be such a part of the lives of the people. On the ride to “The Center of Art for Peace” in Suchitoto we saw people driving cars, buses and trucks crammed with people, packed tightly together in the excessive heat, yet not seeming to mind, laughing and talking as if they were on an air conditioned train.
Everywhere we went we were greeted by smiles and friendly hugs and handshakes. It didn’t matter that I spoke very little Spanish- the smiles and laughter were a universal language. In the school- poor by our standards- the students entertained us with songs and paragraphs that they wrote about us during a lesson on descriptive writing. The younger children were outside collecting beans to use in a lesson on counting. The morning ended with us teaching the students how to do the “Hookie Pookie”. After school we watched a “football” game between the girls and the boys. They played on a dusty field in places strewn with litter. It suffices to say that in spite of all this laughter was the king!
At a fish farm, where Tilapia are raised, young fishermen showed us how they feed and catch the fish, all done by hand and very labor intensive. We also visited a women’s workshop where dresses, table lines and jewelry was made for sale. The machines that were used would be very familiar to our parents and grandparents.
This is a country much aware of its history. Everything they do seems to have a deeper meaning in that they are trying to get beyond those awful days in the 1980’s. Visiting those sacred places, where massacres and mutilations took place, you can feel the sense of history and a longing to get to brighter times.
I left with the feeling that I wanted so much to see more and hope one day to be able to return. I do plan to do some begging from friends to collect some funds for the school and library. No on can visit and live with these people without thinking of all that we have in this country, what we waste and what we complain about. To have been part of their lives for just a short time opened a window onto a view of what life could be like with just a little help and especially prayer.
Jackie Crane
