Therese Osborne, a member of Viatores Christi (Travellers for Christ), is a lay missionary who has been working in El Salvador for many years. She joined the mission in 1979 at the invitation of Sister Dorothy Kazel, and was present the funeral of Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1980. Later that year two of her companions, Jean Donovan and Sister Dorothy, were killed by the Salvadoran military.

Therese attended Immaculate Conception School (Cleveland), St. Jerome School, Villa Angela Academy and Ursuline College. Before going to El Salvador, she taught Latin and French at Beaumont School, Villa Angela and Borromeo Seminary High School. She also served as Mission Education Coordinator for the Diocese of Cleveland.

Therese has been associated with the Community Oscar Arnulfo Romero Children's Village ever since it was founded in 1980 by Fr. Ken Myers. She is a frequent visitor to COAR, has helped with projects to support the Village, and in 1985 was instrumental in setting up the COAR Peace Mission in Cleveland in order to raise funds for El Salvador.

At present she is helping the people of 23 villages in the parish of Santa Rosa de Lima, Diocese of San Miguel, El Salvador, to analyze and find solutions to community problems such as malnutrition, flooding, poor roads, illiteracy and lack of access to water.

She comes to us with her perspective on COAR, as an eyewitness to many of the events that led to the founding of the Children's Village. She will describe for us the historical context of El Salvador in the early 1980s, and show how COAR continues to fulfill the dream of helping vulnerable children to grow and develop to serve their society.