Newsletter

by Francisco Heriberto Chicas

I was born in a village in San Vicente, El Salvador on the the 8th of June 1975 of a rural family and I was the second of 4 brothers and sisters. For economic reasons I could not go to school. It was in those years that the cruelty of the war began to be felt. I did not know my father, I only remember my mother, brothers, aunts, uncles and grandparents from my mothers side. Later in 1983 I was a witness of the assassination of my mother and with her my younger sister four years old. They shot them through the back when we tried to escape the El Salvadoran army. Some months previous my older brother was killed and my younger brother was born dead due to the difficult conditions of life and my mother was going to call him Luis Francisco.

Following the death of my mother and sister I wandered through the mountains together with my cousin Eduardo and after some time we found the mother of Eduardo and stayed with her for approximately one and half years. Then a friend of the family named Virginia Carbajal spoke with the mother of my cousin about the possibility of taking us out of the war zone and bringing us to a secure place and safe from danger. And that was how at the end of 1985 this friend took us to the archdiocese in San Salvador and Monsignor Urioste took us to COAR. Some months later we found out that the mother of my cousin was also killed.
Living as a resident in COAR I began to experience another type of life, I had friends, food, education and security. I did not have to hide from the gun shots and I began to feel loved since my family died. I lived in COAR for 8 years, I studied there until 8th grade and because of my age I left COAR in 1993 and went to Sonsonate and studied high school and two years at the university. The resources were depleted and I could not continue studying.

In the year 2000 I returned to COAR but this time it was to work with the choir in the school, then to help the children in residence who had difficulty with their studies and finally I began to work as a chauffeur for the administration of COAR. Everything here has been very good, I have known all the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word who have come through COAR since the time of Fr. Kenneth Myers (RIP). I am eternally grateful to Fr. Ken Myers and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word for their commitment to those in need. I have many wonderful working companions and friends.

Now I have been here in COAR almost five years. I have always liked to study English and in 2002 Sr. Mary Pat asked me to give some classes of English in the school, which I did for 2 months. Five years ago I got to know Maribel who is now my wife. We got married on the 26th of December 2004 at the parish Nuestra Señora del Pilar, Zaragoza, and then we had a big celebration with family and friends at the cancha in COAR. The staff and friends came and decorated and prepared for the wedding. It was a memorable occasion. We have received many benefits from COAR and from the Sisters and on our wedding we had a wonderful celebration which was truly an experience of community.

I want to thank all of you for all your support for COAR over the past 25 years even though I do not know many of you personally. We pray for you and ask God’s special blessing for you and your families.

May God bless you abundantly,
Francisco Heriberto Chicas