Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education

Volume 46 Article 27

9-1-2014 Book Review of When the Gospel Grows Feet: Rutilio Grande, SJ, and the Church of El Salvador, by Thomas M. Kelley Diana Owen

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Recommended Citation Owen, Diana (2014) "Book Review of When the Gospel Grows Feet: Rutilio Grande, SJ, and the Church of El Salvador, by Thomas M. Kelley," Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education: Vol. 46, Article 27. Available at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/conversations/vol46/iss1/27 Owen: Book Review of When the Gospel Grows Feet: Rutilio Grande, SJ Book Review

When the Gospel Grows Feet: Rutilio Grande, SJ, and the Church of El Salvador , by Thomas M. Kelly

Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 279 pages, $29.95 By Diana Owen

he main cathedral in the good that respects the dignity of all Archdiocese of San people. Latin American bishops, in a Salvador is a physical landmark move, called for structural manifestation of the deep changes in the social and economic division in the Catholic order. Tensions arose in El Salvador T Church in El Salvador. between the government and the The traditional cathedral on the main church as progressive clergy began to floor is elaborately adorned; the arch - encourage marginalized people to act bishop’s seat is located at a distance as their own agents in improving their from the congregation, whose partici - lot in life. As Kelly argues, there is pation in mass is limited. The spartan much to be learned from the Catholic basement houses the tomb of the mar - experience in El Salvador. In fact, to tyred Oscar Romero; visit - understand Francis is to under - Salvadorans in order to develop an ing priests from the countryside say stand the church of Latin America. informed action plan. He mentored mass from the small altar surrounded Rutilio Grande, S.J., was an advo - community leaders who tackled key by people who actively take part while cate for the poor and disenfranchised issues, such as education and land seated on folding chairs. With this in El Salvador who was gunned down reform. In so doing, he walked a imagery, Thomas Kelly illustrates the along with his lay companions, Manuel tightrope between evangelization and tensions between the official and the Solorzano and Nelson Rutilio Lemus, politicization that ultimately cost him popular forms of the while driving on a dusty road on their his life. Rutilio’s assassination influ - that have shaped El Salvador’s political way to evening mass. Rutilio’s story enced his friend, Archbishop Romero, history for centuries. forms the focal point for Kelly’s analy - to work more stridently on behalf of Kelly’s astute work examines the sis as he addresses the key question: the oppressed. far-ranging consequences of these divi - “How could powerful forces within the Kelly was urged by the late Dean sions in El Salvador’s long-standing overwhelmingly Catholic country of El Brackley, S.J., to tell Rutilio’s story, struggle for social justice from an his - Salvador carry out the execution of a which has been overshadowed by the torical and theological perspective. He priest in broad daylight in front of wit - war in El Salvador and Archbishop begins with an exploration of the cul - nesses?” Rutilio engaged in a pastoral Romero’s assassination in 1980. tural legacy of the Catholic Church in variation on liberation theology in the colonization of Latin America from which he promoted the development 1500 to 1820 and its influence on the of a new faith community grounded in Diana Owen is associate professor in extant social hierarchy. This discussion the Gospel that promoted action on the department of communications, provides a context for his analysis of behalf of justice. He adopted the credo culture, and technology at Georgetown the impact of Vatican II in Latin “see, judge, act” and was path-breaking University; she is a member of the America as the church worldwide in his use of social science to gain National Seminar on Jesuit Higher affirmed its commitment to a common knowledge of the problems faced by Education.

42 Conversations Published by e-Publications@Marquette, 2014 1 Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, Vol. 46, Iss. 1 [2014], Art. 27 Book Review

Brackley took the place of one of the six Jesuits murdered in 1989 with their housekeeper and her daughter at the University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador and worked tirelessly for social justice. It was at the UCA that Kelly’s meticulous research led him to discover and translate articles written by Rutilio in Busqueda , a journal where priests shared conversations about their ministries. He also interviewed numer - ous associates of Rutilio. Kelly has spent considerable time in El Salvador both accompanying students on immersion programs and researching this book. Although he wrote it for stu - dents, the text has a far wider appeal to scholars and anyone interested in under - standing the nexus between the church and politics in El Salvador or learning about Rutilio’s understated but enduring influence on the Christian community. Sophisticated in its argument, the book remains broadly accessible by virtue of Kelly’s crisp prose and willingness to Tom Kelly and participants in the Ignatian Colleagues Program pilgrimage to El Salvador in clarify terms that may be unfamiliar to February 2014 at the site of the assassination of Rutilio Grande, S.J., and his lay companions. nontheologians. I discovered the book while preparing for a mission trip to El Thomas Kelly is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Creighton Salvador with the Ignatian Colleagues University.He is the Immersion Coordinator for the Ignatian Colleagues Program and found it to be an extraordi - Program. More information about the book can be found at http://www.whenthegospelgrowsfeet.org/ nary resource. ■

The New Dawn of Three Books Reviewed By Joseph A. Tetlow, S.J.

hree books rise out of the preparing for his mandatory retirement tsunami of papal image as Archbishop of Buenos Aires at age and myth-making. Taken 75. The book appeared in Argentina as together, they give a grasp El Jesuita in 2010, and in 2013 in a fine of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, English translation (Putnam, New York). T Pope Francis, adequate to keeping one’s nose above the flood. Start with Pope Francis: Joseph A. Tetlow, S.J., the author of Conversations with Jorge Bergoglio, by many works on the spirituality of St. Sergio Rubin and Francesca Ambrogetti. Ignatius Loyola, has served in Jesuit The Argentine journalists interviewed administration and in the formation the cardinal-archbishop as he was of young Jesuits.

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