St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish welcomed Father Peter Gyves, SJ, MD as he celebrated the 31st Anniversary of the martyring of 6 Jesuits and two laywomen at the Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador, El Salvador. During the Salvadoran civil war, these Jesuits sacrificed their lives for denouncing the injustices committed by the oligarchy and for defending innocent Salvadorans subjected to great violence. They are Ignatian role models of a faith that seeks global justice.
Father Gyves gave an impassioned homily on the leadership and courage it takes to risk one’s life and talents, as the Gospel reading suggests, to serve others. He shared his original intentions of becoming a physician as a first-year student at Boston College and how God, communicating through inner stirrings of his soul, invited him to use his gifts outside of the United States. With his heart on fire, Peter decided to serve as a Physician in the rural communities in El Salvador, where shortly before his arrival, the six Jesuits and two women were killed at the Jesuit University. While eight martyrs were explicitly mentioned, a point was made to remember the 70,000+ missing, tortured and dead of El Salvador during the period of the civil war. The event and direct encounter with those who suffered greatly and unjustly elicited his response to serve the poor and marginalized.
Students were attentive and moved by these accounts as they heard of the courage of the martyrs’ and Father Gyves’ response to God’s call. He invited the students present to utilize their education at Boston College and respond to the injustices that occur throughout the world. Hopefully, they can continue to look upon these martyrs as models of faith for how to live out a faith that seeks global justice.
Luis Melgar
Boston College School of Theology & Ministry
Master of Divinity Class of 2023
Many thanks, Luis, for this moving account of the recent homily of Father Peter Gyves, SJ.. Yes, the struggle for justice that he witnessed during his time of medical service in El Salvador is inspiring. Sadly, the majority poor of that embattled country still suffer greatly. I am encouraged that young people today have conduits like Father Peter to learn of the herioc efforts of the Jesuit martyrs and the many others who sacrificed everything for the hope of social progress!
Fr. Peter is a man of God and all people. He is a great example of people for others!
As someone who has worked in El Salvador and been in the garden where the Jesuits and the 2 women were killed, thank you for remembering and writing. It is hard to explain to someone has not been there and seen the suffering of so many, suffering that still goes on in so many places, so many countries.
I hope that people who think that following the way of the Gospel is about a check list or to do list rather than a way of seeing and listening and then acting can someday know what it is like to truly see…and then say yes.
People say I am so good to go down to Central America and other countries and work with the people. I tell them I go down to be energized and fed so that I can come back here to the US and continue the work for systemic change and true justice for all everywhere. Thank you for providing a place to share remembering.