In the July 18, 2014 issue of The Catholic Universe Bulletin, my article was about my trip to San Salvador to celebrate with the Salvadorians the 50th anniversary of the Cleveland Latin American Mission Team.
Responding to the call of Pope John XXIII, our diocese established a presence in the country of El Salvador serving the Catholic people of this country for now 50 years.
I was privileged to meet many people over the five days I was in the parishes being served by our sister and brothers who were living and working with their Salvadorian brothers and sisters. It seemed every place I went I heard words of gratitude from people who were thankful for the Cleveland missionaries. I remember a teenage girl thanked me for the missionaries as she said ?I can go to Mass because they are here with us.? I could not help but realize how much it meant for her to go to Mass. She truly loved God!
So many people told me how very much they loved our missionaries. The impact over these years has been phenomenal in the lives of countless men and women and children because of the presence of lay women, religious women and priests from the faithful of Cleveland who left Cleveland to work with people because of their love for the Lord. The people of El Salvador experienced this reality in their lives and in turn were given to touching expressions of gratitude.
Among those whom I met was Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas, of the Archdiocese of San Salvador. He is a gracious man and was very free with his words of deep appreciation for our Cleveland presence among the people of God of El Salvador. Very graciously he thanked those who have served on the Mission Team and in a heartfelt way prayed that our relationship continue for another 50 years and more! He clearly has been moved by the whole experience of Cleveland in El Salvador.
Moving along with the story, this past weekend there were two celebrations in Cleveland focused on the 50th anniversary of the Cleveland Latin American Mission team. On Sept. 20, about 180 people gathered at the Center for Pastoral Leadership for a meal and friendship and conversation about the times and events of these past 50 years. There was also the opportunity to view a movie that had been filmed in El Salvador about the Mission.
Among the people who attended the Sept. 20 event were many of the priests, religious women and lay women who served as missionaries, and members of our parishes who have had a parish-based mission experience. The happiness and joy expressed by person after person spoke volumes of how much El Salvador has meant in their lives. Father Steve Vellenga has told me at times how special El Salvador was for those who actually went and worked there. Now I know what he meant as I heard voices speak with feeling and smile with happiness radiating from them.
On Sept. 21, a Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated in St. John Cathedral to thank God for His role in all the good things that happened in El Salvador doing what He desired. Again, there was great joy Sept. 21 as all were grateful for the love and happiness they experienced.
Like Archbishop Escobar, I expressed during the Mass a hope that our relationship with El Salvador would continue for another 50 years and more for the El Salvadorians and the Clevelanders for the glory of God and the spiritual well-being of all of us.
(The above column by the Most Reverend Richard Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland originally appeared in the Friday, October 10, 2014 issue of the Catholic Universe Bulletin, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Cleveland.)
