Priest urges crowd not to forget assasination
Published: October 29, 2009
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A martyr's mission is only as strong as his or her memory.
That was the message given by the Rev. Rodolfo Cardenal, S.J., as part of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the assassination of six Jesuit priests and educators, their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador.
The Rev. Cardenal, who knew the victims when he served as vice rector of the University of Central America, addressed about 400 students, faculty and staff Wednesday at the University of Scranton's Houlihan-McLean Center.
The lecture was the first in a series of events the school has planned over the school year to mark the anniversary.
The Rev. Cardenal noted why it is so important to mark the occasion, "to pay respect to their memory and be thankful for their life and death."
He described the Nov. 16, 1989, murders as "enigmatic" and said that while the memory "fascinates and attracts many," it also "never ceases to evoke fear. It forces us to ask ourselves, 'Why?' It becomes a personal question ... 'How are we going to give continuity to their cause?'â"
The Rev. Cardenal explained that the root of the mission the martyrs died for was a determination to help the poor. He encouraged others to reach out to local immigrants who find themselves at the mercy of others' generosity.
"You do not have to go far to see them," he said. "Their presence is invitation to be moved by this human exodus."
He urged the audience to accept responsibility as good Christians to extend help to the less fortunate.
"It is no longer optional; it is an ethical obligation," he said.
University President the Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., said he was "thrilled" to see so many students at the lecture, noting that many of the students weren't even born when the tragedy made headlines.
"The turnout is a sign of the effect and influence this (event) has on them," he added. "And to have Rev. Cardenal here is tremendously moving. It's very powerful, and it brings an immediacy that we wouldn't otherwise have."
Contact the writer: pwilding@timesshamrock.com
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