Sunday, February 1, 2009

A Suchitoto day


I visited Sr. Peggy O'Neill this weekend - for those who don't know Peggy, she's a Sister of Charity who has lived in Suchitoto, El Salvador for 22 years now. She's a liberation theologian, a great story teller, and a woman committed to peace and to the people of El Salvador. She's also the center of the universe for a charming Maltipoo named Luna, the same Luna I dragged through a briar patch a couple of weeks ago. Luna, we both agreed, now looks quite elegant in her shorn slenderness. Here's a photo of her and one of Peggy in the courtyard of her house. Peggy has hosted many Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace and PeaceHealth Mission teams at the Centro Arte para la Paz (Art Center for Peace) she started in an old Dominican school in Suchitoto.

Suchitoto is a lovely town, laid out in orderly Spanish Colonial fashion with streets marching out from the central core of church, plaza and alcaldia (City Hall). I don't know how many people live there, but I think Peggy knows at least 2/3rds of them, and walking with her through the streets of Suchitoto is a glorious process of starts and stops and conversations and connections. We went to a ballet (The Rites of Spring in a restored adobe mansion) and a party after the ballet, and it felt good to be walking out at night in a friendly community.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Sister Susan,

    I am actually in the midst of trying to find Sister Peggy's contact information/email, and I came across this blog post. You wouldn't happen to know her email, would you? I took a course with her last spring and would love to follow up with her!

    Thanks for your help!

    Leah

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  2. Hello, Leah Ruth - You can reach Sister Peggy through the Centro Arte para la Paz website, http://www.capsuchitoto.org/ or e-mail me at susanvdewitt@gmail.com for her direct e-mail address. Hope you get in touch!

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  3. Hi Susan,
    I went to language school with Peggy back in 1987. She is wonderful. She loved saying "increible." It was her favorite word.I used to say "que romantico" all of the time. I have emailed you, as I would very much like to be in touch with her, as would my friend Maria, who also went to language school with Peggy and me. We lived with the same host family.
    alice

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