On November 16, 1989, six Jesuit priests - Ignacio Ellacuria, Segundo Montes, Ignacio Martin-Baro, Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, Juan Ramon Moreno, and Amado Lopez - were murdered by the Salvadoran military on the campus of the University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador, El Salvador. Their housekeeper, Elba Ramos, and her daughter Celia Marisela Ramos, were murdered there as well. The Jesuits were labeled subversives by the Salvadoran Government for speaking out against the oppressive socioeconomic structure of Salvadoran society. Their assassinations were ordered for their unwavering defense of the poor.
The Jesuits were six of over 70,000 victims who died in El Salvador’s civil war which raged in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. The vast majority of these victims were civilians killed by El Salvador’s armed forces and paramilitary death squads. The death of the Jesuits brought international outrage and condemnation upon the Salvadoran Government and pressured them to negotiate an end to their country’s civil war.
The following research guide was developed to aid students in conducting research on the lives and work of the six Jesuit priests who gave their lives for the people of El Salvador. It aims to provide the user with quick access to the various types of resources that can be found in the libraries of St. Peter’s College.
These martyrs do not want revenge, nor are they interested that justice be brought about for them. What they want is peace and justice for El Salvador through the best means left to acheive them"
-- Jon Sobrino, S.J.
The indexes listed below should be consulted when looking for journal articles. They can be searched by subject (e.g.; "Jesuits" or "El Salvador"). Indexes will give you the information needed to find a particular article (e.g.; name of journal, date, page, etc). Check the Online Catalog to see if the journal is in St. Peter’s library. All the indexes listed below are located in the Reference Room.
Provides indexing and abstracts for over 1,500 journals, about one third of them fulltext. The Academic Index allows for both subject or keyword searching.
SELECTED WORKS
The following books provide in-depth information on the lives and work of the Jesuit priests, as well as the events leading to their deaths. They will also provide excellent background information on the Salvadoran Civil War, and the individuals and groups that played significant roles in it.
Beirne analyzes the Jesuit Assassinations in the broader context of their efforts to build a university committed to social change and democracy in El Salvador. The founding and development of the University of Central America is presented, as well as a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of such a model.
Provides an introduction into the political thinking of Ellacuria, Segundo Montes,and Martin Baro, as well as a chronology of the investigation into their murders. The chronology is in an easy-to- read format and is pieced together from major newspapers, official church and government sources, and The Moakley Report.
Shortly after the assassination of the Jesuits, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights became the legal council for the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). Their report, Death Foretold, is a summary of events leading to the murders, and an evaluation of the subsequent investigation and cover up by those responsible.
Writings of Ignacio Ellacuria, Ignacio Martin-Baro, and Segundo Montes,on various topics concerning faith, justice, human rights, and democracy. Chapters include: The University and Social Justice,The Psychology of Liberation, and Power and Social Structure. Includes a bibliography of the publications of each priest.
A collection of writings by the six Jesuit priests of the University of Central America. Sobrino recalls his work and friendships with each of the priests and writes of how the ideals they possessed were expressed in their lives and deaths.
A comprehensive introduction to the thought and theology of Ignacio Ellacuria, slain Jesuit and president of the University of Central America in El Salvador.
LIBERATION THEOLOGY
The theological vision of the six Jesuits was one of liberation for the poor of El Salvador. The works listed below will provide the reader with an introduction to liberation theology, including its origins and development over the years. All the works focus on liberation theology in the context of Latin America. For a broader study of the subject, search Liberation Theology as a subject heading in the catalog.
Berryman presents an overview of liberation theology including its origins,changing context, political impact, and how this theology functions at the grassrootslevel. He also addresses the objections raised to liberation theology and questions regarding its future.
A brief, comprehensive survey of liberation theology from two prominent Brazilian theologians.
Robert McAfee Brown offers a very readable introduction to liberation theology through the life and work of one of its founding fathers, Gustavo Gutierrez.Brown draws extensively on personal conversations with Gutierrez, as well as Gutierrez’s own writings.
Ellacuria writes of the role of the church in Latin America amongst widespread poverty and violence.
A collection of essays by various Latin American liberation theologians offering a systematized presentation of the fundamentals of the theology of liberation. Essays by Ignacio Ellacuria, Juan Ramon Moreno, and Jon Sobrino are included. Published in English after the death of Ellacuria, the work includes an introduction by Father Jon Sobrino. Sobrino was a friend, collegue, and housemate of the slain Jesuits.
In 1979, El Salvador’s beloved Archbishop, Oscar Romero, was shot and killed by the Salvadoran Armed Forces while celebrating Mass. This is a collection of his quotations and words to the people of El Salvador taken from homilies, letters, interviews, and articles.
Jon Sobrino writes of the imperative need that crucified people be shown mercy. The book includes a chapter dedicated to the legacy of his martyred Jesuit brothers, as well as a letter written by Sobrino to Ignacio Ellacuria.
Sobrino reflects on the lives of the martyred Jesuits and their legacy for the church. The Jesuit martyrs and the poor of El Salvador, the "crucified peoples", are for Sobrino both a gift and challenge to the church.
EL SALVADOR
The titles below offer background information on the history of El Salvador and events leading up to its civil war. For more titles, conduct a subject search in the catalog using the keyword El Salvador.
Journal reflections from a women who assisted Salvadoran refugees on the El Salvador-Honduras border.
Fragmented Ties: Salvadoran Immigrant Networks in America (Menjivar, Cecilia)
Menjivar examines the many aspects of the Salvadoran immigrant experience with a particular focus on the social network they've developed in the Mission District of San Francisco. After looking at the reasons why Salvadorans have entered the U.S. in great numbers, Menjivar traces their ardous journey through Mexico, and their experience beginning life anew in California. Menjivar's work also looks closely at how class, gender, and age affect the immigrant experience.
Explores the origins and evolution of the revolution in El Salvador by looking at the roots of the conflict, the church, the guerrilla coalition, and the state.
Stanley explores how the Salvadoran government and military has historically offered protection to the elite in order to prevent a civilian uprising. Argues that state agencies at times use violence to advance their interests.
WEB SITES
The web site of the University of Central America (UCA) honors the memory of the murdered Jesuits with a hypertext link titled Nuestros Martires (Our Martyrs). This section of the web site offers the viewer biographical information on each of the priests along with their pictures. It also offers a chronological listing of their significant achievements. The UCA site also makes available fulltext articles from several important and well respected university publications, including Estudios Centroamericanos and Proceso. These journals provide an ongoing social and political analysis of Salvadoran affairs.
The School of the Americas (SOA), located in Fort Benning, Georgia, is a US Army training facility for Latin American soldiers. Over the years it has graduated some of the regions most notorious dictators and human rights abusers. The officers who planned and covered up the Jesuit massacre, as well as those who pulled the triggers, were graduates of the school. The web site of the School of the Americas Watch is devoted to closing down the school and includes up-to-date information on its organizing efforts to do so.
The Latin American Studies Department of the University of Texas at Austin is the host of a web site devoted to Latin America. Its country directory on El Salvador provides links to the web sites of Salvadoran newspapers, political parties, universities, and economic and government sources.
The Handbook is an annotated bibliography of Latin American works which can be searched by author, title, or subject. This is a good source to search for books and articles the Jesuits published in their respective academic disciplines. Many of the works by the Jesuits can be found here although many will be Spanish titles(with English annotations).
Established to honor the memory of the slain Jesuit and social psychologist, Ignacio Martin-Baro, this fund supports grassroots organizations worldwide that address the mental health needs that arise in communities where violence and injustice is widespread.
compiled by: Mark Graceffo
The Dow Jones News Retrieval provides fulltext and abstracted articles from the nation’s newspapers, as well as from a wide variety of magazines and newswires. It is an excellent source to search for newspaper articles printed in the days following the assassinations.
