News

https://www.ursulinesisters.org/we-remember-and-recommit

[Thank you to the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland for compiling this list of resources to commemorate the 40th aniversary of the martyrdom of Jean Donovan, Dorothy Kazel, Maura Clarke, and Ita Ford in El Salvador.]

art credit: Diane Pinchot, OSU

Women Leading the Way for Justice and Peace…Then & Now

40th anniversary resources

Art Exhibit: Memory & Resistance

Click here to see the juried art exhibit Memory and Resistance: 40 Years , inspired by the legacy of the four US women martyrs in El Salvador. is a juried art exhibition that celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the InterReligious Task Force on Central America and Colombia (IRTF). IRTF was formed in response to the deaths of four Churchwomen. CLICK HERE to view the exhibit online. Click here to contact IRTF board member Diane Pinchot to schedule an in-person viewing of the art show at ArtiCLE Gallery in the Collinwood Arts District of Cleveland.

Biography of Sister Dorothy Kazel

Click here to read a biographical essay on Sister Dorothy Kazel’s life from the book: In Love, in Faith, in Solidarity written by Sister Cynthia Glavac, OSU. 

A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura Clarke

In A Radical Faith , author Eileen Markey brings excitement, tension, and compassion to an overlooked story that illuminates the courage and dedication of the sisters toward their fellow humans while highlighting the cruelty and senseless violence that have plagued Latin America for decades. For anyone interested in learning more about the multiple civil wars in Central America and the roles the American government and these Catholic sisters have had in encouraging change, this book is a great choice. Rich details and solid storytelling convey one nun’s story of her dedication to God and her fellow humans.  Kirkus Reviews

Spiritual Journeys of the Four Church Women

Click Here to read:  “The Spiritual Journeys of the Four Churchwomen" by: Edward T. and Donna Whitson Brett with permission of the U.S. Catholic Historian and the Catholic University of America Press.

Bishop Anthony Pilla reflects on the funeral of Sister Dorothy Kazel

Click here to hear Cleveland Bishop Anthony Pilla reflect on the death and funeral of Sister Dorothy Kazel. 

The Four Church Women Martyrs of El Salvador

Click here to see a one-hour presentation on YouTube about the four churchwomen by Dr. Margaret R. Pfeil, a Faculty Fellow of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame

In Her Own Words: Sister Dorothy Kazel

Click here to see "In Her Own Words," a short film produced by Ursuline Sister Martha Mooney's grand nephews, Jack, Andrew, and Matt Arehart, in May 2019. In the film you'll hear Dorothy describe her experiences in El Salvador. The short film is a trailer to what will become a full length documentary in the future.

Reflections on El Salvador by Cleveland Ursuline Sisters

Click here and browse through Ursuline Sisters News from 2015.  As you read you will discover how Cleveland Ursuline sisters who served in El Salvador were transformed by their work, the Salvadoran people, and the life and death of Dorothy Kazel.

Roses in December: resources to educate, commemorate, and take action.

Click here for the 27-page toolkit “Roses in December,” authored by the SHARE Foundation and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). The toolkit includes: the story of the four church women; background on El Salvador; ideas for the celebration; a prayer service; ideas for action and advocacy; media suggestions; and a list of resources.

Martyrs of Hope

Click here to learn about the Orbis Books publication which tells the inspiring story of seven U.S. missioners who paid the ultimate price for the poor of Central America. Two of them have been beatified by the Catholic Church: Fr. Stanley Rother and Brother James Miller, who were killed in Guatemala. Four of them were women killed by the military in El Salvador: Maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and lay missioner Jean Donovan. The seventh, Maryknoll Sister Carla Piette, who also died in El Salvador, represents what Pope Francis has recently called a “martyr of charity,” who laid down her life for her neighbors. All of these martyrs challenged an unjust sta­tus quo in the countries where they ministered. This book offers a riveting and troubling story of their heroic witness. Although their lives, back­grounds, and beliefs varied widely, they held a common faith and hope: to better the lives of the poor among whom they lived and worked.