Ursulines Attend Washington DC TASSC Vigil

Twelve Ursuline Sisters, all members of the Ursuline Society, attended the 11th annual TASSC vigil in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, June 28th.  In their midst was Sr. Diana Ortiz, herself a torture survivor, who recently resigned from the organization she founded and came this year as a supporter.

Among the Ursulines present was Sr. Pat Brockman of Brown County who brought with her Mohammed, whose uncle was tortured in Libya.  Accompanying their Muslim father were his two Catholic daugthers.  Torture, like all the evils of the world, crosses the boundaries of culture and religion.  Proudly standing with the Ursulines as the stories of Sr. Diana's torture in Guatemala and Sr. Dorothy Kazel's martyrdom in El Salvador were told, Mohammed told the story of his uncle.

The vigil began at 7:00 a.m. with speeches from torture survivors, religious leaders and activists.  The painful stories were interspersed with periods of singing and dancing which gave witness to various stages of healing that for the survivors lasts a lifetime.  At one point, those in attendance marched directly in front of the White House.

Rained out by severe weather at 9:00 p.m, the vigil was moved to the headquarters of TASSC where several supporters and survivors stayed watch throughout the night.

"Attending the 24-hour prayer vigil against torture was powerful and truly inspiring!  Hearing the survivors' stories brought tears to my eyes.  It made me realize how we must pray each and every day for an end to the horrific abuse taking place in our own country and around the world," said Sr. Carol Kronfield.

"What struck me the most," said Sr. Sandy Sherman, "were the opening and closing candle processions in which 150 candles, each bearing the name of a country that still uses torture, were carried, and one of the Ursulines present chose to carry the one that bore our own nation's name."

Other than a few TASSC staff members, the Ursulines were the only women religious present.  They returned with an urgent need to raise awareness and support.