Alumni Bridges to El Salvador

With the success of the University Faculty and Staff Bridges to El Salvador program, the University decided to launch a program aimed at giving U of S alumni a similar opportunity to reach out and have their lives changed. Thus was the Alumni Bridges to El Salvador program born!

The program has gained momentum in the past few years and has built up to become an annual program. We invite you to search your heart and decide if you would like to join our summer program, and in turn, a community of men and women living the Jesuit vision as men and women for others.

What participants can look forward to:

• Crossing Romero’s path: learning of the Archbishop’s teachings, life, and sacrifice.
• A visit to the University of Central America and our Jesuit brothers.
• Reflection on the testament of the Jesuit Martyrs.
• Insight into the geo-political and economic world of El Salvador, then and now.
• Observing day to day living in post-Civil War El Salvador.
• An opportunity for daily reflection and Mass.
• An opportunity to grow in community with fellow alumni.

Details of the Program

We have been working closely with the CRISPAZ (Christians for Peace) organization to coordinate the details of the program, and have scheduled our program to take place July 13-22, 2003 (10 days). CRISPAZ does a phenomenal job of organizing delegation visits to El Salvador for various groups throughout the year.

We are aiming for a group of 12 participants, at an anticipated cost of approximately $1500 dollars per person; we are currently exploring methods of raising money in an effort to reduce costs. We welcome any suggestions and support.

Please also note that some individuals may require inoculations prior to our visit.

More Information …

If you would like more information on this program or would like to obtain an application, please contact either one of the co-directors:

Kevin Corr – Class of 2000 (570) 941-6202 corrk4@scranton.edu Adrienne Hamson – Class of 2001 (570) 941-5919 hamsona2@scranton.edu

You may also wish to access the CRISPAZ website (www.crispaz.org) for further information.

Once we form a team, we will send you a list of possible dates for an orientation retreat. We hope to have the retreat at the U of S Chapman Lake Retreat House; the date for this retreat will depend upon availability of the house and team member schedules.

In the words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, “We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water the seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”