Posted on Aug 30, 2019
Authors detail lives, deaths of US missioners
1K
18
7
8
8
0
Fr. Stan Rother was a priest from Oklahoma City who joined a team of 10 priests, sisters and lay volunteers at the diocese's Micatokla mission in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, in 1968. By 1975, he was the lone North American working at the mission. Like virtually all of the other martyrs whose stories the Bretts tell, Rother was no radical. In fact, his political conservatism should have made him quite popular among the ruling elite and with the church that served their interests so attentively.
But his work among the poor and marginalized Mayan Indians inevitably put him at odds with the plantation owners who governed the economic, political and military arenas. Though Rother organized no formal challenges to the existing order, those in power perceived as threats his work training catechetical leaders among the laity, supporting education and health care initiatives, and even sponsoring efforts to translate the Gospels into the native Mayan tongue.
But his work among the poor and marginalized Mayan Indians inevitably put him at odds with the plantation owners who governed the economic, political and military arenas. Though Rother organized no formal challenges to the existing order, those in power perceived as threats his work training catechetical leaders among the laity, supporting education and health care initiatives, and even sponsoring efforts to translate the Gospels into the native Mayan tongue.
Authors detail lives, deaths of US missioners
Posted from ncronline.org
Christianity
Murder
Guatemala
El Salvador
Religion
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
4
4
0
Not a safe occupation but so sorry they lost their lives; may they be remembered.
(4)
(0)
3
3
0
1
1
0
I went to El Salvador the first time in November 1981: Jan 1982 which was not long after the bodies of the Nuns were disacovered. My mission was to support the Regional Security Office against a threat to AMB Hinton. It was an eye opener to say the least. The country was ruled by the Junta, a groups of army Colonels and corruption was everywhere. The president was only a figure head that did what the Junta wanted. The congress wanted nothing to do with El Salvador which they limited the number of advisor to 50 soldiers assigned to Mil Group. They had SF Sergeants running Savadorian army battalions. My seconnd trip, I went with AMB Korr to visits the wounded soldiers in the hospitals which the ambassador visited every kid , around 750. My last was Jan 85: Mar with AMB Pickering. El Salvador had an elected president. Things seemed to get better except the terrorism was now conducted in the cities. I wonder if there will ever be peace in Central America.......
(1)
(0)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
MSG Danny Mathers I wish My Hands were Clean but Unfortunately I handled the Messages for Iran-Contra in London. Pretty Sad State of Affairs for the Son of 2 Lay Ministers of the Catholic Faith to Have a Hand in Right Wing Death Squads Killing Catholic Nuns and Priests.
(0)
(0)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
MSG Danny Mathers - Nature of My Past Occupation. I Handled "SPECAT" Special Category Messages, The Most Sensitive Operational Messages. Occasionally they were So Sensitive that I Didn't or Wasn't Allowed to Delegate them to My TSCO Top Secret Control Operator. Iran-Contra would be One of those Cases. My Bust, My Bad. Those "Contras" that President Reagan Praised were Right Wing Death Squads that Had No Problem Killing, Raping Priests and Nuns for Daring to Preach "Social Justice" which is and was Central to the Catholic Faith I was Raised in.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google