Today has been an intense, incredible, and infinitely life-changing day in El Salvador. We had the honor of visiting some of the historic places of Oscar Romero on the 35th anniversary of his assassination. First we went to the Jesuit school to see a memorial dedicated to Romero and the Jesuit martyrs. We saw pictures, clothing, and heard stories of how gruesome the war was in El Salvador. I remember getting chills when we saw the blood stains and bullet holes in the clothes of those who were murdered. We learned about the massacres that occurred during the war and how unbelievably inhumane they were. The brutality and cruelty that these people endured is heartbreaking.
Next we visited the cathedral where Oscar Romero held mass on Sundays, where his tomb lies underneath. The tomb, chapel, and streets were filled with people whose lives were touched by Romero. He was a man who saw the injustices of the government and how they were hurting the people. Romero saw the poor staying poor and a select few benefit from their suffering. He did what only the best kinds of people do; he spoke out loudly and justly for those who did not have a voice.
One strange aspect I thought of was how my parents were exactly my age when Romero was assassinated. I wondered if they even know about the war happening here. I questioned the values of my home country during that time. I am filled with sadness for all of the loss and devastation the Salvadorans have endured and continue to endure. For most of the day I had to fight back tears. Not because I did not want to fully feel all the emotions running around in my mind. More so I wanted to show respect to those who were grieving such a terrible loss, and I was just starting to understand how impactful it all was.
On a slightly more positive note, most of the people we have met down here seem to have only positive memories of Romero. To me, this means they are healing from the devastating loss. I just wanted to take this last moment and thank everyone for their love and support. Being here has been humbling, and I cannot express the amount of love we are encountering. I love you all and despite the intense day and somewhat depressing blog post, we are all doing well here. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep from the around- the-clock roosters has left me sleep deprived. Gracias a mi familia aquí y en los Estados Unidos, Anna, Mesa Católica y todos que ayudan. Buenas noches, mis amores.