SHARE's Programs

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water the seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
-- prayer of Archbishop Romero

I have Good News for you. The spirit of Monseñor Romero is touching the many corners of the world. The other day, I received an email with the list of events celebrating the 25th anniversary all over the world. I scrolled down searching the document for a listing of the SHARE delegation, and several pages down here we were: “Delegation of 100 plus delegates from the US arriving in El Salvador on March 28.”

Last week, I spoke to a Spanish class at Ocean Hill High School just south of San Francisco, a school for kids of farm workers. They had seen the movie “Romero” and each had a number of questions. After the presentation, a student approached me and said, “I am a Salvadoran. I was two years old when my parents left El Salvador. I did not know about Romero or the war in El Salvador, and I cannot go visit because I am undocumented. I thank you and the SHARE Foundation for the work you do.” She embraced me and left with tears in her eyes.

I visited the office of Congressman George Miller of California at the invitation of SHARE Sistering Promoters Bill and Bunny Griffitts. By the end of the meeting, we found out that Representative Miller’s aide, Barbara Johnson, is the sister of Sister Sandra Price, SSND. This is the very same Sister that went to El Salvador with Eileen Purcell, former Executive Director of SHARE, at the beginning of the war to find out about the violations of human rights in Las Minas, Chalatenango, and has been living in Nicaragua for 20 plus years. The lesson is to reach out into each Congressional office and find the people that understand our opposition to CAFTA.

I also wanted to bring you up-to-date on the various events happening around the country. I invite you to let us know about activities that are taking place in your community to celebrate the anniversary of Archbishop Romero.

1. Marina Peña, SHARE’s El Salvador Office Director, who has been active in the struggle for women’s rights in El Salvador for over two decades, was part of the NGO conference that took place alongside Beijing +10 at the UN Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, which took place in New York City from February 28 to March 11.

2. The Human Right’s Ombudswoman of El Salvador, Dr. Beatrice de Carrillo, will be in Washington on March 16 and March 17 to discuss with U.S. lawmakers the alarming increase of social and political violence in El Salvador. She will meet with the Hispanic Caucus during its business meeting, Representative Jim McGovern, Massachusetts and other key Congress people. We are co-sponsoring the visit with the Salvadoran community, CARECEN and La Clinica del Pueblo, as well as with the AFL-CIO and Global Trade Watch. Dr. Carrillo has been a very strong advocate against CAFTA and the increasing violations of human rights.

3. SHARE’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Sister Diane Clyne, RSM, will be touring in Cleveland, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan from March 14 through March 18. She will meet with religious orders and others interested in the delegation and celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the martyrdom of the 4 US Churchwomen who were assassinated on December 2nd.

4. SHARE Promoter Phelia Lorenzen has been organizing a coalition to celebrate a week of activities in the Seattle area. Jose Artiga is invited by the Council of Churches of Greater Seattle to attend the closing of the week of activities on April 10th. Jose will be in the area April 8 through April 13 doing outreach to religious orders for the December delegation to El Salvador. We hope to organize a large and powerful delegation this November 30 to December 6.

5. Teresa Cruz from our San Francisco office will be participating in the June 14-17 academic symposium at Rivier College of Nashua, NH entitled “Memory, Prophecy, Hope: The Legacy of the Central American Martyrs”. Teresa is a former representative of the Christian base communities of El Salvador and was a refugee in the Mesa Grande camp in Honduras.

6. There are a number of local events celebrating Romero happening throughout the country.

SHARE Board member Yanira Chacon organized an event with the Archdiocese of Long Island. Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez of El Salvador was the honored guest and speaker.
SHARE Board member Susan Saudek, SHARE Promoters Branch Warfield and Linda Koch and staff Dave Johnson and Chloe Schwabe from our DC office have been working on a celebration in the Baltimore area from March 16 through April 3.
Lisa Zeilinger and Ralph Robers have been working on a Milwaukee event.
The Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California is organizing a series of events at the Graduate Theological Union from April 4 though April 8.
Teresa Cruz has been helping to organize a coalition for the Romero event in San Francisco on March 19.
CRECE in Oakland and St. Joseph the Worker are working with youth to produce a play on the life of Romero. Teresa Cruz will also be helping out with this event.
A coalition of churches in Kansas City, including SHARE’s sister parishes Visitation and Good Shepherd, have organized a year long series of events celebrating the Martyrs of El Salvador.

And the best news is that, with your support, we will be leading a SHARE delegation of 140 individuals. The delegation is comprised of folks from our sister parishes, social justice organizations, women religious, universities and high schools. Over one-third of our delegates are youth.

To again quote Romero, “I do not believe in death without resurrection. If they kill me I will rise again in the Salvadoran people.”
Romero’s living legacy continues to rise again and again in all of us who struggle for social justice and peace in El Salvador and throughout the world.

Atentamente,

Jose Artiga
Executive Director