On November 16th, 1989 during the 1980s civil war in El Salvador, six Jesuit priests, along with their housekeeper and her daughter were executed by soldiers. On this day 20 years later, Jesuit communities in Canada join their brethren around the world to commemorate the lives and work of Jesuit Fathers Ignacio Ellucuria, Ignacio Martin-Baro, Segundo Montes, Amando Lopez, Juan Ramon Moreno, Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, and their housekeeper Julia Elba Ramos and her daughter Celina Mariset Ramos who were killed at the University of Central America Jose Simeon Canas in San Salvador, El Salvador.

The murder of these Jesuits and their colleagues echoed across Jesuit communities across the globe. Every year on November 16th, and especially on this 20th anniversary, we come together to remember their sacrifice and to rededicate ourselves to the social justice work they gave their lives for. According to Fr. Peter Bisson, S.J., Director of the Jesuit Forum for Social Faith and Justice, their martyrdom reminds us that that knowledge and spirituality always have ethical and political significance.

Jesuit communities will be remembering their lives and sacrifice through vigils, screenings of documentaries, and lectures among other events. One of them, Campion College at the University of Regina will be focusing the liturgy this Sunday on the martyrs with students singing Spanish hymns during mass. Fr. Frank Obrigewitsch, S.J., Dean of Campion College says that their intent is to make the community aware of what happened on this day 20 years ago. On the political sphere, the United States Congress passed a bill on October 21, 2009 commemorating these six Jesuit priests and their two colleagues.

Canadian Jesuits International asks for prayers for the families of the martyrs, and for the global Jesuit community, as we continue to do the work that these, and countless other men and women have given their lives for.