June 2019 – Executive Director’s Reflections & News from El Salvador
From the Peace Mission’s Executive Director By Mary K. Stevenson Preventing Faces of Fear In June I begin my regular summer of travel to parishes throughout North America to raise awareness and funds for COAR through the Mission Co-operative Plan of the Catholic Church. I will visit parishes that range from inner-city Miami, to rural […]
December 2018 – Executive Director’s Reflections & News from El Salvador
From the Peace Mission’s Executive Director By Mary K. Stevenson My Trail of Tears Monday, October 29th, on my way to see friends of COAR in SE Tennessee, I, literally, drove on the Trail of Tears. That is the path the Cherokee marched when President Andrew Jackson forced them off their land and out to western […]
Car Bomb Explodes on Highway to the Port of La Libertad
On Sunday, February 11th, 2018, possible gang violence rang out on the Highway to the Port of La Libertad a little over 1/2 mile from COAR. Two policemen from Santa Tecla had come across an abandoned vehicle on the highway and opened the doors to investigate. As soon as they opened the door, the car […]
Gangs Threaten All Civil Society: Worst violence since the WAR
“The violence is terrible. Gangs occupy every inch of this country. If you are young and you enter a neighborhood where you don’t live, they will shoot you dead on the spot. It has not been this bad since the war! No one is safe” remarked Rebeca (name changed for her protection). During our last […]
The Next Generation: Facing Reality with a SMILE
Did you know that 53% of all Salvadorans are under the age of 25. One half of the population is college aged or younger. That is a huge population beginning to enter the work force but with little life experience to guide them and a society in which “home” may be a cinder block house […]
March 2016 Newsletter Your Gifts Build Strength and Gentleness- the school, pg. 1
March 2016 Newsletter Your Gifts Build Strength and Gentleness Strength – the school, pg. 1 Gentleness – the children, pgs. 4-5 Rosita Graduates from Kindergarten “There is no strength like gentleness, and no gentleness like real strength.” -St. Francis de Sales The 2015 (November) graduation class of COAR High School The students and teachers cannot […]
Romero’s Message Needed to Solve Gang Violence in El Salvador
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 […]
Salvadoran Father in US Counsels Kids to Seek Legal Route to US: Border Too Dangerous
With an election year close at hand, it is helpful to remind ourselves of the people behind the stories. We will briefly describe the case of legal immigrant Carlos Leveron and how his story fits into the national narrative on Immigration. But, to begin, some facts to consider: In the past 5 years, there has […]
Surrounded by Gang Violence: Can Hope & Peace Be Nurtured?
March 26th, 2015, 1am: violence and bloodshed shatter the Salavadoran night in our neighboring town of San Jose Villanueva. This quiet, unimposing, hillside community just a few minutes from the Pacific coast to the south and COAR to the west, erupted in bloody violence as the Salvadoran National Civil Police entered the town that it […]
Preventing the BORDER CRISIS by Building School & Team Spirit in Zaragoza
As nearly all Americans are now aware, there has been a large influx of undocumented children coming to the United States alone or unattended by their parents. While this issue raises many political questions at home in the US, it also creates an opportunity to discuss preventative actions that can be taken in Central America […]