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Former Jesuit, Congressman Cao Discusses Using Ignatian Discernment to Reach Health Care Vote Decision

A Vietnamese-born lawyer, the first Vietnamese-American to be elected to Congress, and a former Jesuit seminarian, Anh "Joseph" Cao is the current U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and was the lone Republican to vote for landmark health care reform on November 7, 2009.

Cao spoke with National Jesuit News about the process of discernment that he uses in reaching decisions as a U.S. congressman, how those decisions are grounded in his background in Ignatian spirituality and why he didn’t chose the party line in voting for health care reform.

Our Q&A with Congressman Cao is below:

National Jesuit News: As a Jesuit scholastic, you experienced the Spiritual Exercises, a foundational piece of Ignatian spirituality from Jesuit founder Ignatius Loyola. Now, as a congressman, do you find that you use the Ignatian principles of discernment as you reach your political decisions? Has a grounding in Ignatian spirituality helped shape your political decision making process? 

Cao: I still use the Ignatian methods almost every day, from examination of conscience back to the methods of the 30 day retreat. I do that very often. Using the whole process of discernment to see where the Sprit is moving me has been extremely important, especially in my recent decision to support the health care reform plan. The Jesuit emphasis on social justice, the fact that we have to advocate for the poor, for the widow, for those who cannot help themselves, plays a very significant part. But at the end of the day, I believe that it’s up to, at least from my perspective, understanding what does my conscience say, how is the Spirit moving me. I use that almost every day in my decision making process. The issues that we contend with in Congress affect every single person here in the United States, so I want to make sure that my decisions are based on good principles and good morals.

For example, right before the [health care] vote, I actually went to Mass and I prayed. And the theme of the day was one of the readings from Isaiah. The priest gave the homily about be not afraid, so I really felt a personal touch during this homily, that this homily was meant for me. I was going through a lot of turmoil, debating on what was the right decision, knowing the fact that if I were to vote ‘yes’, I would be the most hated Republican in the country. [laughs]. So, it was a tough discernment process but I felt during the Mass that it was speaking directly to me. It gave me the strength to say ‘yes, you have to make the right decision’ and ‘be not afraid’ to do it because ‘I will go before you’ so that is why I supported the bill knowing the fact that I would be the only one. 

National Jesuit News: As the lone Republican to vote in support of the health care bill, you showed what many would call courage and independence. Even getting elected in a predominately Democratic area shows your uniqueness. What gives you the strength to follow the path that you’ve decided for yourself?

Cao: The question, ultimately, is ‘what is God’s will for me in my life?’ I see everything in life as a gift. I’m not too attached to my position. I’m not too attached to being a U.S. congressman. I see myself as being there to serve God, to do what is God’s will in my life, and if things happen to change, the next year or two, then I’m pretty happy and pretty satisfied. That’s how I approach my life, one day at a time and make sure that each and every day, what I do is according to how God’s will is for me on that day.

National Jesuit News: The health care debate could at times be very divisive, especially around the matter of abortion. The Bishops lobbied heavily around the legislation when it came to abortion policies in regards to health care. What are your thoughts on how Catholics should approach the health care issue?

Cao: We need health care reform because the reform process is intended to help those who cannot help themselves. But also we have to make sure that some of our core moral values are not compromised and that was the drawing line for me. No matter what happens, strong anti-abortion language has to be included in the bill. I stated several months back that by supporting the bill, it would probably mean the end of my political career, but I just cannot support a bill that would go against my moral conscience. I would not support a bill that would support federal funding of abortion. During the negotiations, I made that specifically clear to the House leadership that we cannot support any reform bill that would provide federal funding for abortion. 

Former Jesuit Seminarian Congressman Cao Talks About the Lasting Legacy of the Jesuit Martyrs of El Salvador

Anh "Joseph" Cao is the current U.S. Representative from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and was the only Republican to vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act on November 7, 2009. Last December, Cao defeated nine-term Democratic U.S. Representative William Jefferson, in a district that hasn’t elected a Republican since 1890.

A Vietnamese-born lawyer, the first Vietnamese-American to be elected to Congress, and a former Jesuit seminarian, Cao talked with National Jesuit News about why he spoke in support of a recent House bill commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador. On today's anniversary of the murders of the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter in El Salvador 20 years ago, we are publishing the interview with Cao on what the legacy of the Jesuit martyrs has meant to him.

Tomorrow, we will publish more from our interview with Cao, including his answers to using the Ignatian process of discernment in reaching tough decisions as a U.S. congressman, how those decisions are grounded in his background in Ignatian spirituality and why he didn’t chose the party line in voting for landmark health care reform.

National Jesuit News:You recently spoke in support of H.Res. 761 to commemorate the lives and work of the Jesuits and their housekeepers who were killed 20 years ago in El Salvador. During your speech, you mentioned that they had greatly impacted you and your decision to become a Jesuit. Can you talk about their legacy and their impact on you?

Cao: It was 1989 when that happened, and I was a junior in college then. And I was discerning at that time whether to become a priest. When I read the news about the Jesuits in El Salvador and what they were doing, I basically decided at that moment that I would want to join the Society of Jesus because of the courage of these priests, these people that worked in a foreign land, to become missionaries, to do the will of God in those foreign lands, it just really touched me. I believe it was at that particular part of my life when I decided, yes, this is what I want to be and I contacted a Jesuit that I knew and asked him what was the process to enter the Society.

Watch below to see Cao's speech on the House floor in support of the H.Res. 761commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Jesuit martyrs of El Salvador.

El Salvador Remembers Jesuit Martyrs on 20 Year Anniversary of Their Murders

El Salvador is marking the today's 20th anniversary of the Jesuit Massacre of 1989, when government troops murdered six prominent Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter. Click here to see pictures from the commemorative activities in the country.

Jesuit Apostolates Commemorate 20th Anniversary of Six Jesuits Murdered in El Salvador

(Courtesy Scranton Univ.)

On Nov. 16, 1989, six Jesuits, along with a housekeeper and her daughter, were killed by members of the El Salvadoran military at the University of Central America Pastoral Center in San Salvador. The Jesuits had been labeled subversives by the Salvadoran government for speaking out against its oppressive socioeconomic structure.

To mark the 20th anniversary of their murders, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 761, "Remembering and commemorating the lives and work of (the Jesuit Fathers, their housekeeper and her daughter) on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their deaths at the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas in San Salvador, El Salvador." The resolution was sponsored by Rep. James McGovern (D) of Massachusetts.

Killed in the attack were Ignacio Ellacuria, S.J., 59; Amando Lopez, S.J., 53; Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, S.J., 71; Ignacio Martín-Baró, S.J., 50; Juan Ramon Moreno, S.J., 56; Segundo Montes, S.J., 56; Julia Elba Ramos, 42, the housekeeper of the Jesuit residence, and her daughter Cecilia Ramos, 15.

In remembrance of those who lost their lives, various Jesuit apostolates, including colleges, universities and parishes, are commemorating November 16th, 2009 with memorials, Masses and religious services. A list of institutions participating appear below with events listed if available. Please check back regularly as this list is ever growing.

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan Continues Book Tour at Jesuit Schools Across the Country

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan speaks at Boston College (Courtesy Alice Poltorick)

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan’s appearances at Jesuit schools across the country continues with appearance this Saturday at Georgetown University, Wednesday at University of San Francisco and Thursday at Loyola Marymount University. Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of Them, the current Oprah’s Book Club selection, is visiting Jesuit colleges and universities across the country to discuss his book, the intersection of spirituality and art, and his life as a Jesuit priest and author. Fr. Akpan’s talks, which will include a reading from his collection of short stories that were recently #1 on the New York Times list for fiction, will be free and open to the public.

After his participation in a live, in-depth discussion about his book with Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper that was simulcast on Oprah.com and CNN.com, Fr. Akpan appeared this week at Loyola Chicago and Boston College. If you missed the webcast, you can watch Oprah and Say You're One of Them author Uwem Akpan and their in-depth discussion about his book, the challenges facing children in Africa and more here.
 

Saturday, November 14, 2009 1:30pm Georgetown University Riggs Library 3800 Reservoir Rd NW Washington, D.C.	Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:00 pm University of San Francisco Xavier Hall, inside Fromm Hall 2053 Fulton St San Francisco, Calif.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 4:00pm Loyola Marymount University William H. Hannon Library Von der Ahe Family Suite Room 322 1 LMU Drive Los Angeles, Calif.

Cristo Rey “Take Your Teacher to Work Day” Puts Teachers in Corporate Offices

Jesuit Father John Swope gets tips on mail delivery at M&T Bank from student Allan Johnson (Courtesy National Examiner) 

If you know Cristo Rey Jesuit High School , you know about its Corporate Internship Program (CIP) which helps makes a private, college preparatory education affordable to young men and women living in some of Baltimore’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Through CIP, the school's 273students contribute toward the cost of their education by working five full days each month in entry-level positions at one of 66 businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout Baltimore.

Last week, 26 Cristo Rey Jesuit teachers and administrators "shadowed" students in corporate offices throughout the Baltimore area, in the school’s first “Take Your Teacher to Work Day.”

Jesuit Father John W. Swope, president of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, who worked at M&T Bank on Friday, under the guidance of junior, Allan Johnson, Jr. said, "Allan and other Cristo Rey Jesuit students who work at M&T Bank take on real responsibilities for projects. In doing so, they learn critical skills for work, college and life."  

Read more about Cristo Rey Jesuit's “Take Your Teacher to Work Day” here.

Jesuit Building a ‘Trialogue’ Among Three Great Religions

Jesuit Father Patrick Ryan

by Peter Feuerherd
New York Province of the Society of Jesus

As he sat, literally and figuratively, in the chair of the late Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., Jesuit Father Patrick Ryan, S.J., reflected about following in the footsteps of a Catholic theological giant.

Father Ryan, 70, occupies the office and holds the chair as the Laurence J. McGinley professor of religion and society at Fordham University, a position held by Cardinal Dulles from 1988 until his death in 2008. A former student of Cardinal Dulles, Father Ryan, in the afterglow of Vatican II’s outreach to non-Christians, was urged by the theologian to pursue doctoral studies in comparative religion at Harvard.

He responded with a doctoral dissertation based in part on his own experience in Nigeria. As a young Jesuit teacher in Nigeria, Father Ryan got to know the Yoruba people, a group roughly half Christian and half Muslim, who have long experienced interfaith understanding.

Jesuit Father Jim Conroy Talks with Busted Halo About How St. Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises Continue to Transform Lives

Jesuit Father Jim Conroy (Courtesy Busted Halo)

If you were able to conduct a free association exercise among Catholics, the term “Jesuit” would most likely evoke responses like “educators,” “intelligent,” “worldly” and perhaps even “liberal.” But as the largest male religious order in the Catholic church, the Society of Jesus—as the Jesuits are officially known—has nearly 20,000 members spread out across 112 nations around the globe who are involved in an endless variety of work ranging from education and pastoral ministry to medicine, the law, social justice etc. The one common bond that ties this diverse international group together however is their experience of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

Formulated in the early 16th century after Ignatius of Loyola’s conversion, the Spiritual Exercises represent Ignatius’ gradual understanding—through prayer—of how God worked in his daily life. It is a powerful tradition that enables people to understand their relationship with the divine through their own unique experiences in the world. While all Jesuits are required to do the Exercises in a 30-day silent retreat at the beginning of their formation, countless others—religious and lay alike—feel drawn to Ignatius’ spiritual insights and do the Exercises as well. The Jesuit Collaborative is a an East coast organization, headed by Jesuit Father Jim Conroy, whose mission is to promote the Spiritual Exercises outside the Society of Jesus. In an interview with Busted Halo, Fr. Conroy discusses the origins of Ignatius’ approach to prayer and why young seekers looking to make sense of their world are often drawn to it. Read his interview here.

Jesuit Father Tom Reese Discusses the Catholic Approach to Immigration Reform at Georgetown/On Faith's Blog

Jesuit Father Tom Reese, Senior Fellow at Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, regularly contributes to the Georgetown/On Faith blog, a partnership between Georgetown University and Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive designed to provide knowledge, inform debate and promote greater dialogue and understanding across religious traditions.

In this week's blog post, Fr. Reese highlights discussions that took place at last night's Woodstock Forum "Honoring Human Dignity and the Common Good: A Catholic Approach to Immigration Reform". The forum was moderated by Jill Marie Gerschutz, migration policy director and outreach coordinator for the Jesuit Conference of the United States, who with Donald M. Kerwin, Jr.,vice president for programs at the Migration Policy Institute, edited And You Welcomed Me: Migration and Catholic Social Thought. 

Here is an excerpt from Fr. Reese's latest post:

Octavio Gonzalez, a graduate of Georgetown University, would be picking corn and raising a few cattle in El Teul de Gonzalez, Mexico, if his father had not illegally trekked across the hills at the U.S.-Mexico border near San Ysidro, California, in 1969. 

Mr. Gonzalez never planned to stay permanently in the U.S., but he wanted something better for his children after he married a woman who had also crossed into the U.S. illegally after being turned back by a border guard who refused to let her cross even though she had a valid visa. 

"As much as they both wanted to stay with their families in Mexico, it was becoming clear to them that their aspirations for their children would not be possible living in Mexico," Octavio explained to a forum sponsored by the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University on Tuesday. "If they stayed to raise a family in Mexico, their children, like them, would go to school six months out of the year and work the fields on the ranch. We would certainly never get the opportunity to study through college."

The Gonzalez family story exemplifies that "A migrant is a person possessed by a dream, just like you and me," as Bishop Gerald Kicanas, vice president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, told a Georgetown audience last month. "They're trying to improve their lives, live their lives with some dignity, with some semblance of value and meaning."

Speaking at the same forum as Octavio Gonzalez, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick explained why the Catholic Church supports comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship. The church's teaching on immigration is based on the fact that "We are all brothers and sisters in God's one family," he said. Or as Pope Benedict XVI said in his latest encyclical, Caritas in Veritate: "Every migrant is a human person who, as such, possesses fundamental, inalienable rights that must be respected by everyone and in every circumstance."

Read more of Fr. Reese's post here.

Jesuit Author Publishes First Fully Interpretive Biography of Lakota Indian Visionary

Since its publication in 1932, Black Elk Speaks has moved countless readers to appreciate the American Indian world that it described. John Neihardt’s popular narrative addressed the youth and early adulthood of Black Elk, an Oglala Sioux religious elder. Jesuit Father Michael F. Steltenkamp now provides the first full interpretive biography of Black Elk, distilling in one volume what is known of this American Indian wisdom keeper whose life has helped guide others.

Nicholas Black Elk: Medicine Man, Missionary, Mystic shows that the holy-man was not the dispirited traditionalist commonly depicted in literature, but a religious thinker whose outlook was positive and whose spirituality was not limited solely to traditional Lakota precepts. Combining in-depth biography with its cultural context, the author depicts a more complex Black Elk than has previously been known: a world traveler who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn yet lived through the beginning of the atomic age.

Boston College Remembers the 20th Anniversary of Murders of Jesuits in El Salvador

Jesuit Father J. Donald Monan (Courtesy Boston College)

Boston College will hold two events in November marking the 20th anniversary of the murders of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter on the grounds of the Jesuit community at the University of Central America in El Salvador.

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m., Gasson 100: Boston College Chancellor Jesuit Father J. Donald Monan will moderate a program titled "Living Legacies: the 20th Anniversary of the Martyrs of El Salvador." The panel will include Jesuit Father Rodolfo Cardenal, 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.

Monday, Nov. 30, 4:30 p.m., Robsham Theater: Fr. Monan will moderate a discussion with historian Noam Chomsky and University of Central America co-founder Jesuit Father Jon Sobrino — who was away from the Jesuit residence the night of the murders — titled "Memory and Its Strength: The Martyrs of El Salvador."

Fr. Monan, who was president of Boston College at the time of the killings, worked tirelessly to marshal the Jesuits' response to the murders, urging the United States Congress to pressure the Salvadoran government to bring the killers to justice.

Team California Wins Third Place in the 2009 Solar Decathlon with Help of Jesuit Mentor

Jesuit Father Jim Reites (Courtesy SCU)

Team California, comprised of students from Santa Clara University, got its day in the sun after winning second place in engineering and third place overall at the U.S. Department of Energy's 2009 Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C. The students beat top universities such as Tufts University, Rice University and Cornell University, making their home one of the most energy-efficient, beautiful and comfortable solar-powered homes in the world. The judges described Team California's 800-square-foot house, called Refract House, as masterfully executed, exquisite and well designed.

Read more about Team California's win here.

Helping lead the team to its win was Jesuit Father Jim Reites, faculty member at SCU. With his endless supply of energy, infectious laugh and no-nonsense, do-whatever-it-takes-to-get-the-job-done attitude, Reites is an essential and beloved member of the team who has been inspiring students at SCU since he joined the community in 1975.

Allison Kopf, ’11, student project leader for the ’09 team, calls Reites “one of the most enthusiastic, hard-working people I’ve ever met. His pride in the project and excitement about the process encourage students to work to their fullest.” James Bickford, BSME ’08, who led the student team to their third place victory in 2007, agrees: “Father Reites is the Energizer Bunny of the Solar Decathlon program. He is an all-around great guy with a big heart, can-do spirit, and energy becoming that of a 20-year-old.”

Read more about Fr. Reites' work with the SCU Solar Decathlon team here.

You can also view a video of Fr. Reites speaking about Team California at SCU's website:
http://www.scu.edu/news/videos/Reites-Talks-About-Team-California.cfm

Jesuit Collaborative Launches New Blog

Jesuit Father John Predmore

The Jesuit Collaborative has added a blog to its website with the goal of providing opportunities to enter into Ignatian prayer and reflection on a regular basis.

Jesuit Father John Predmore, creator the blog, will feature reflections on scripture, Ignatian prayers and Jesuit history. Fr. Predmore will continue to author blog posts several times each week while special guests will be invited to author postings on the site. This new prayer resource supports the Jesuit Collaborative's mission of promoting the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. 

The Jesuit Collaborative is a professional association of Jesuits, laypersons, clergy, and religious who share in common the spiritual tradition of St. Ignatius. The Collaborative promotes networking, reflection, scholarship, and learning while coordinating the diverse ministries that derive from the Spiritual Exercises. The Collaborative is pledged to serve the Church by providing for the spiritual development and care of persons, forming leaders, and nurturing a faith that does justice.

Vatican Honors Jesuit missionary to China - Father Matteo Ricci

(Photo courtesy CNS)

By Sarah Delaney
Catholic News Service

A new Vatican exhibit highlights the life of a Jesuit missionary whose extraordinary intelligence, culture and open-mindedness helped him bring Christianity to imperial China four centuries ago.

The exhibit is part of a series of events marking the 400th anniversary of the death of Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit who spent 28 years evangelizing, absorbing Chinese culture and bringing Western science to the faraway Asian continent.

Jesuit Father Jim Martin Presented with Ignatian Volunteer Corps' Della Strada Award

Stephen Quigley, Chairman of NY Regional Council of IVC, Fr. Jim Martin and Liz McMahon, NY Regional Director

The New York/New Jersey region of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps presented its third annual Della Strada award on October 22, 2009 to Jesuit Father James Martin. 

The Della Strada award takes its name from the church that Ignatius Loyola and the early Jesuits in Rome established to serve the urban poor. This award honors those whose work and lives reflect the Ignatian values of direct service to the poor, and of working and educating for a more just society. 

Fr. Martin truly embodies these values – through his current position as the Culture Editor for America Magazine, the national Jesuit weekly, as well as his books, articles, presentations, workshops and media appearances, and his prior work in a Jamaican Mission, with the Jesuit Refugee Service in Kenya, with street gangs in Chicago, and at the Nativity Mission School in New York.

Prior recipients of the Della Strada award include Fr. Joseph Parkes, President of the Cristo Rey High School in New York, and Fr. Joseph O’Hare, former President of Fordham University and past editor of America Magazine.

The Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC) provides men and women, aged 50 and greater, opportunities to serve others, to address social injustice, and to transform lives. IVC matches the talents of capable Volunteers with the greatest social needs of our time through partnerships with hundreds of nonprofit organizations across the United States.

Jesuit Conference President Tom Smolich Sees Further Collaboration with Indian Jesuits

 
Jesuit Father Thomas H. Smolich, president of Jesuit Conference of the United States, ended his 10-day visit to India on Oct. 27.  He told the Union of Catholic Asian News he was “energized” to see the Indian Jesuits’ works in the fields of education and social development.

“Many of the educational institutions managed by the Jesuits in India are top-notch,” he said after visiting Jesuit works in Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The Jesuit institutions and the infrastructure facilities available in India are designed to change society, he said and added possibility of collaboration between Jesuit Conference of South Asia and its US counterpart.

Read more of Fr. Smolich's interview with UCAN here. 

Jesuit Father Sean Carroll, Executive Director of the Kino Border Initiative, to Speak at Georgetown Conference on Immigration Reform

                                             (Photo courtesy JRS/USA) 

A one-day conference at the Intercultural Center Auditorium on the campus of Georgetown University this Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 seeks to educate and inspire students and others to greater knowledge, commitment and action for immigration reform. Jesuit Father Sean Carroll, Executive Director of the Kino Border Initiative, will be on hand to speak during one of the panels.

A series of panel discussions will put a human face on the migrant experience by: sharing personal narratives of individuals crossing the border; exploring political/legal, economic, ethical and law enforcement perspectives on the current immigration system; making the case for policy changes, discussing ways in which the current system is failing immigrants and our communities. It also will explore the prospects for immigration reform, discuss the key players in the process and talk about what such reform may look like.

Jesuits Help Host an Evening Prayer for Peace in the Middle East

Jesuit Father Al Hicks, singer Joumana Modour, Director of the Jesuit Center Raed Awwad and Jesuit Father Clarence Burby present a gift to Modour for her performance at the Evening of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East.

 
An Evening Prayer for Peace in the Middle East, featuring acclaimed Lebanese singer, Joumana Modour, was held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at the Melkite Church in Amman, Jordan.

The event was coordinated by Raed Awwad, Director of the Jesuit Center in Amman and Maroun Nejim, director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in Amman, with the help of the Catholic Church communities in Jordan. Over 1,200 people from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq attended including 200 people who arrived by bus from Palestine. Among those present were Melkite Archbishop Yasir Aiash, Jesuit Father Clarence Burby and Jesuit Father Alfred Hicks, both of the New England Province of the Society of Jesus.

U.S. Congress Honors Jesuits on the 20th Anniversary of Their Deaths in El Salvador

 
The U.S. House of Representatives debated and approved, on the suspension calendar, a resolution remembering and commemorating the lives and work of six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter on the upcoming 20th anniversary of their deaths in El Salvador. The resolution was sponsored by Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), who led the Congressional investigation into the assassinations when he was a senior aide to then-Rep. John Joseph Moakley (D-MA).

The House today passed House Resolution 761, which stated, in part:

"Remembering and commemorating the lives and work of Jesuit Fathers Ignacio Ellacuria, Ignacio Martin-Baro, Segundo Montes, Amando Lopez, Juan Ramon Moreno, Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, and housekeeper Julia Elba Ramos and her daughter Celina Mariset Ramos on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of their deaths at the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas located in San Salvador, El Salvador on November 16, 1989."

During the bloody civil war of El Salvador in the 1980s, in the early morning hours of November 16, the six Jesuit priests and their housekeeper along with her daughter were executed by soldiers. Many Jesuit institutions around the country will mark the 20th anniversary of the murders with lectures, vigils and screenings of documentaries about the killings and the struggle for justice.

“The witness of these martyrs continues to inspire us today, these many years later,” said John Kleiderer, acting secretary of social and international ministries at the Jesuit Conference of the U.S. “They were unwavering in their defense of the poor and oppressed. We honor their memories and their legacy of work on behalf of justice and peace. We are grateful to the members of Congress for remembering and honoring them today.”