December 14, 2005

H. Res. 458

Remembering the lives of four American churchwomen who were murdered by elements of the Salvadoran military on December 2, 1980

Mr. Chairman, I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to the leadership on both sides of the aisle for bringing this resolution to the House floor before we adjourn for the year. I especially want to thank Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairman Burton, Subcommittee Ranking Member Menendez, House International Relations Committee Chairman Hyde, Ranking Member Lantos, Majority Leader Blunt, Democratic Leader Pelosi, Speaker Hastert, Congressman Dreier, and their staff.

Mr. Speaker, on December 2nd, 1980, Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and Cleveland Team lay missionary Jean Donovan were brutally violated and murdered by members of the Salvadoran National Guard.

The Guardsmen who pulled the triggers, and their immediate superior, a subsergeant, were tried, convicted and imprisoned in 1984 for these heinous crimes – although they were later released in 1997 and 1998.

But I am not here today to recall these tragic events. I am here to remember and honor their lives. These four courageous American women dedicated their lives to the safety and welfare of others – to the poor and the desperate of El Salvador, especially the women and children left homeless and destitute by the violence and war of that era.

It is the way that they lived their lives and the work that they carried out that has proven to be so inspirational to so many people in the 25 years since their death – and especially to young people who are looking for role models, both secular and spiritual, to guide their own futures.

I had the great privilege to spend December 1st through the 6th in El Salvador and to participate in the many 25th Anniversary events organized by the Maryknoll Sisters and other Salvadoran and American religious leaders honoring the lives of these four wonderful women. I was a member of a delegation coordinated by the Washington Office on Latin America and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Our delegation joined over 200 other Americans and an equal number of religious representatives from throughout Central and South American and elsewhere.

During our five days in El Salvador, we walked in the footsteps of these women. We visited the small rural communities where they lived and worked; we met the campesinos, priests and sisters with whom they labored; we attended Mass and worshipped at the site where their bodies were found; and we listened to members of their families and their religious orders tell stories of their lost loved ones that brought these women vividly and joyously to life for all of us.

While it was a time of sorrow and remembered grief, it was also a time of celebration – for these four American women are remembered with great love and affection by the Salvadoran people – and by so many Americans across our country. Their spirits burn bright and have served to inspire many others, including young people, to lives of service. Who now remembers those who brutalized and murdered them, unless it is with a shudder?

Several 25th Anniversary events were held here in the United States during the December 2nd weekend in cities as diverse as Kansas City, Boston, Cleveland, Seattle, Detroit and Milwaukee. Across our country, you will also find community centers, neighborhood health clinics, and groups that provide counseling for young women and mothers dedicated to these four women. You will find libraries, schools and scholarly centers named in their honor – and books, films, plays and music created to celebrate their lives.

In El Salvador, throughout Latin America and even around the world, it is common to come across communities and humanitarian projects named after Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, Ita Ford and Dorothy Kazel.

I’ve been very privileged to get to know some of the family members of these women – and I’ve long been a friend of the Maryknoll Sisters. A finer group of people you simply cannot find.

It is for them – the families, friends and colleagues – of these four churchwomen that I am proud the House is acting on this special remembrance of their loved ones who have been lost to them these past 25 years, but who always remain, as they say in Spanish, “Presente” in their hearts, minds, and souls.

I believe these four American women represent the very best our country has to offer. They represent the best values and ideals not only of the American people, but all people. My recent time in El Salvador inspired me; it re-energized me; and it reminded me that we must remain committed to continuing the churchwomen’s legacy by helping the poor and disadvantaged of El Salvador develop their communities and create a more hopeful future for all.

I urge my colleagues to approve H. Res. 458 and to remember the very special lives, dedicated to service, of Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, Ita Ford, and Dorothy Kazel.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to submit extraneous materials into the Record following my remarks, and I return the balance of my time.