Walking With El Salvador

2024 Good Friday procession in San Salvador, El Salvador Viernes Santo, Holy Friday, is the day on which Christians remember the suffering and death of Jesus. In old English, this day was often referred to as Long Friday due to the extended period of fasting, prayer, and other acts of penitence and remembrance.  In El Salvador, walking the way of the cross with public processions through the streets is a long-held tradition, rooted in the Roman Catholic faith. This centuries-old tradition, honored in small hamlets and large cities, continues to be led by Catholic Churches cities and draws participants from the broader faith community, including tourists. Indeed it can be a long Friday. For some of the most elaborate processions, such as  the one in Sonsonate , crowds begin to line the streets hours before the procession begins. Along the route, groups set up the stations of the cross while at the church, preparations are made for carrying statues of Mary and Jesus.  Prior...

When I was growing up, our Lutheran church celebrated Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) with a focus on the Last Supper, and fifth graders received their first communion. Our kids remember Maundy Thursday as the night when Pastor Dave closed the Bible with a loud slam. The altar was stripped and we walked out in silence. For several years, our Milwaukee Church did something we called Family Camp during Holy Week, which included worship, art and outdoor activities instead of traditional worship on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. A Holy Week tradition for families in the Lutheran Church in Los Héroes is to gather at the church on Holy Thursday for an informal devotional with singing, scripture reading and the lavatorio de pies - foot washing. Folks sit in a big circle, and the pastors wash everyone's feet in the same way that Jesus washed his disciples' feet during the Last Supper. In our relationship as sister churches, we have a catch-phrase: better together. One way in which w...

A long time ago, a Sunday School student gave me a little notebook for Christmas. I brought it to El Salvador in the early years and jotted down some notes and stories. Most of the writings in this notebook have neither dates nor years, which has made organizing my journals and photographs from that era an archeological experience. A few days ago, I came across this little story, which I did not even know I had written down: We visited Pastor Matías' church, Milagro de Dios - Miracle of God. They lost everything in a recent robbery, but greeted us warmly with snacks and singing. Vonda gave away her guitar. I love her. We took up a little collection ($150) which will pay for a new motor for the mill, to replace the stolen one. The Abuela of the Senior Citizen group stuck the money in her bra. She said it is the bank. She is the church treasurer. I read this and my first thought was: I do love Vonda. I can still picture the moment Vonda turned to me and said, ...

Día de los Difuntos - All Souls Day is a day for family.  Día de los Difuntos literally translates as Day of the Deceased, or Day of the Dead. In El Salvador, just as in the United States, some Day of the Dead traditions from Mexico have crept into local culture - especially in the commercial realm. In El Salvador, observance of the Day of the Dead is typically a quiet event. With or without sugar skulls and mariachis, the Day of the Dead is about communing with family across across the boundaries between life on earth and life in the eternal realm. In El Salvador, November 2nd is a public holiday. It is a time for families to visit their deceased loved ones in the places of their eternal rest. Long, long lines of cars and buses clog the streets near the large cemeteries.  In small towns and in the large cities, small pop-up shops filled with flowers are set up under canopies and umbrellas. Entrepreneurs take advantage of the slow traffic to sell whatever families may need for...

Día de los Santos - All Saints Day is a Christian holiday, celebrated in a variety of ways depending on theological, geographical and cultural tradition.  In our Lutheran Church community in El Salvador, this is the day on which legends are brought to life. Perhaps not your typical All Saints Day Lutheran Church photo.  This is an image of The Screaming Bride - one of the legends illustrated by live actors in the Festival of the Calabiuza  (photo used with permission from a friend) Here's a bit of old school history:  The description of a feast day in commemoration of multiple saints or martyrs can be found in writings from the early times of the church (prior to 400 C.E.).  In the late 700's C.E., Pope Gregory III is said to have dedicated a chapel in honor of all saints and martyrs on the date of November 1st, and by the 800's C.E. the Festival of All Saints is widely recognized and celebrated on this date. In medieval England, the Feast of All Saints (also kn...

While one might logically and theologically expect that a story entitled "The Lutheran Trifecta" would explore the Holy Trinity: God the Creator (Father/Mother), Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit, that is not the subject of this writing. As October passes and November begins, Salvadoran Lutherans and many of their global siblings in faith gather in worship and tradition to celebrate the Lutheran Trifecta:  Reformation Day, All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  Reformation Day is traditionally celebrated on All Hallows Eve - October 31st - the date on which in 1517 C.E., Martin Luther supposedly nailed his notorious 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany. His goal was to reform the Roman Catholic Church. His legacy, with that of other reformers, charted a new course for Christianity.  The Flat Martin pattern made its way to El Salvador several years ago, and sightings of Flat Martin have been reported in 2022. (photo by Pastor Gloria) In El Salvador, there are ...

We got up at 4 AM so we could be in the community for the celebration in the madrugada (the wee hours of the morning). Most of the people who care about this tradition are grandparents now.  Well, we are too. We arrived at about 5:30. The light was on inside the church.  The streets were quiet except for the harmonies of the chicharras, the roosters and the songbirds waking in the trees.   Back in the day, the first fireworks exploded over ramshackle rooftops at 1 AM and 2 AM, and by 3 AM, people would begin to gather at the church. The women would have been up all night stirring the chuco and the men would start making speeches interspersed with traditional music pushed into the community over a loudspeaker. By 5 AM, the party was alive with children squealing at the fireworks and sparklers. Families would huddle together in the cool morning air, dunking their pan francés into their cups of warm chuco . The pastor would pray and lead everyone in singing Las Mañanit...