Capuchin friar Saul Soriano’s sudden accidental death leaves us heartbroken: the COAR children, the staff in the US and El Salvador, the volunteers, and our countless visitors. Saul was funny, kind, cheerful, and smart. His easy demeanor hid depths of strength and moral clarity. COAR is a better child-care facility, a home, because of him. …
The Loss of a Cherished Friend: Saul Soriano, OFM Cap. Read More »
COAR, the Community of Oscar A. Romero, is the oldest extant organization in the world to carry the name of Oscar Romero with the approval of the Archdiocese of San Salvador. Oscar Romero will be canonized in the fall of 2018. Note from COAR’s Executive Director: On April 28th, COAR honored Romero’s long-time friend and …
This beautiful chapel, the spiritual center of the COAR community, is in need of a bit of T.L.C. (Tender-Loving-Care). The powerful summer storms and constant tremors that plague El Salvador do not take a detour around COAR’s school, foster care facility, clinic and chapel. But, the chapel, sitting high upon the hill for all to …
COAR’s Chapel-on-the-Hill in need of Emergency T.L.C Read More »
Three years ago, a missionary community from Spain contacted Archbishop Escobar to ask if they could be of service to children in El Salvador. The Archbishop welcomed them and suggested that they contact COAR Children’s Village. Since then, COAR has been home to four wonderful Catholic nuns who tutor our children, organize religious formation, lead …
The Relics of Blessed Romero are traveling across El Salvador and visiting parishes and cathedrals throughout the country. As they pass through La Libertad, COAR Children’s Village was honored to welcome the procession to the COAR Chapel (June 2017). The relics continued through Zaragoza, in a procession in which the entire 900+ students in the …
Blessed Romero’s Relics Visit COAR’s Chapel & Zaragoza Read More »
El Salvador is a land of wonderful traditions and great artistic celebration. Like most of Latin America and the Caribbean, it is also a land of great and rich religious and cultural syncretism (blending of traditions). The Day of the Cross is an old tradition in El Salvador where the people offer God the …
On Sunday, April 2nd, a group of COAR teenagers visited the Divina Providencia Cancer Hospital to visit with the patients and learn the value of volunteering and serving others in need. The hospital was opened in 1969 by the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of Santa Teresa who wanted to give poor Salvadorans a place to stay …
COAR Kids Volunteer at Cancer Hospital: Divina Providencia Read More »
COAR had a simple beginning. War was raging in the countryside and displaced families, women and children were fleeing to the outskirts of San Salvador for safety. A Cleveland priest working in the parish of Zaragoza in El Salvador noticed the growth in child war refugees and decided to do something about it. Through the …
1st time ever: COAR WINNER: Scholarship to the Jesuit University (UCA) Read More »
Are your childhood Christmas memories some of your fondest memories? As adults, do you remember those traditions with such an air of nostalgia? Well, COAR Children’s Village is keeping one 400 year old Latin American tradition alive: The Christmas Posadas. The term Posada is one of many Spanish words for “inn” and it …
Posadas: A great Latin American Christmas tradition Read More »
In May of 2015, there were more than 600 murders in El Salvador – a country with a population of approximately 6 million. The Salvadoran Civil War ended almost 20 years ago, but, the wonderful people of El Salvador have not seen the ‘peace’ promised by the Peace Accords! To be honest, the old left-right …
Romero’s Message Needed to Solve Gang Violence in El Salvador Read More »
