At
Project Salvador’s 25th
Anniversary celebration we were saddened to learn of
the passing of Dean Brackley, S.J. Fr. Dean went to El Salvador
to live and work in place of the Jesuits who had been murdered in
1989. He wound up spending the rest of his life there. Those who
participated in Project Salvador delegations to El Salvador over the
years remember their visits with him at La Universidad
Centroamericana during which he recounted the story of the murder of
the Jesuits and their housekeeper and her daughter. He also spoke to
us of the current political, economic, social and cultural conditions
of El Salvador. More than that, Fr. Dean bore testament to the
healing power of the poor for our own lives. In his conversations
with delegates and in his books, he invited us to let the poor “break
our hearts”. For many those trips offered an immeasurably rich,
transformative experience.
Fr.
Dean not only taught at the university in San Salvador, he worked
in a parish about 50 miles outside of the city. He was dedicated to
helping young people get an education that would not only prepare
them to find work, but would transform them to work for justice in
their own communities and the world. He was greatly concerned that
his work securing scholarships for young people not end with his
death.
To
commemorate Dean Brackley’s life and work, Project Salvador has
established a scholarship fund in his name. We hope you will join in
supporting young people in their education. Simply click on the
“donate” button and indicate that you want your donation to
benefit the Dean Brackley, S.J., Commemorative Scholarships.
While
Fr. Dean’s death is a great loss for so many, we trust that our
shared experience working for peace, justice and improved lives in El
Salvador continues to stir hope in our hearts that the world can
indeed be transformed through good work, even in the face of great
suffering and injustice.
We invite you to watch this tribute to Fr. Dean below (in Spanish with English subtitles-easily read in Full Screen mode).
