Martyrs of Hope

Overview

"A welcomed addition to the current literature. Each chapter provides great insight into a single martyr who served as a missionary in Central America. The book also provides readers with relevant political information that will help build a greater understanding of the issues the missionaries faced." --Catholic Books Review

Martyrs of Hope 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.

Donna Whitson Brett served as an academic advisor at the School of Arts & Sciences, Uni­versity of Pittsburgh.

Edward T. Brett is a pro­fessor emeritus ofHistory, La Roche College in Pittsburgh. Their previous book, Murdered in Central America (Orbis 1988), won a Christo­pher award.