Sister Teresa Eileen Alexander, M.M., a missioner serving in El Salvador when Maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke were murdered in 1980 by a military death squad, died Jan. 1 at Maryknoll Sisters Residential Care IV. She was 86.
Sister Teresa served in El Salvador at the height of the political violence, 1980-1981. Reflecting in 2010 on her experience there she called it "rather scary" explaining, "We (the sisters) stayed because we felt God had sent us to be especially with the poor, just to be able to walk with the people, to accompany them. As Sister Ita often said, ‘we live with the question now knowing the answers will come when needed.' We took the risk not to leave the poor, especially the women and children who could not leave."
In late 1981 she was sent to Guatemala, another country filled with political violence at the time but concentrated her efforts on evangelization. She went to Mexico in 1983, where she served in pastoral ministry among the people of Lazaro Cardenas, Merida and Yucatan, 1983-1988.
She returned to El Salvador in 1991, serving as a parish minister and volunteer in Santa Cruz and Soyapango through 2006. She returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining in 2007. She had earlier served in Panama, 1960-1980. She had also worked on the Maryknoll magazine then known as The Field Afar.
Born in Yellow Springs, Ohio, she entered the Maryknoll Sisters in 1945. She professed final vows in 1951. Primarily an educator and parish minister, Sister Terry as she became known, specialized in teaching religion, though she also taught commercial subjects.
Two sisters, Patricia Alexander and Clara Ann Belval, and two brothers, James and Jack, survive her.
A Vespers Service was held Jan. 8 followed by a Memorial Liturgy Jan. 9, both at Annunciation Chapel at the Maryknoll Center in Ossining. Sister Terry had requested her body be given to science.
Sister Teresa served in El Salvador at the height of the political violence, 1980-1981. Reflecting in 2010 on her experience there she called it "rather scary" explaining, "We (the sisters) stayed because we felt God had sent us to be especially with the poor, just to be able to walk with the people, to accompany them. As Sister Ita often said, ‘we live with the question now knowing the answers will come when needed.' We took the risk not to leave the poor, especially the women and children who could not leave."
In late 1981 she was sent to Guatemala, another country filled with political violence at the time but concentrated her efforts on evangelization. She went to Mexico in 1983, where she served in pastoral ministry among the people of Lazaro Cardenas, Merida and Yucatan, 1983-1988.
She returned to El Salvador in 1991, serving as a parish minister and volunteer in Santa Cruz and Soyapango through 2006. She returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining in 2007. She had earlier served in Panama, 1960-1980. She had also worked on the Maryknoll magazine then known as The Field Afar.
Born in Yellow Springs, Ohio, she entered the Maryknoll Sisters in 1945. She professed final vows in 1951. Primarily an educator and parish minister, Sister Terry as she became known, specialized in teaching religion, though she also taught commercial subjects.
Two sisters, Patricia Alexander and Clara Ann Belval, and two brothers, James and Jack, survive her.
A Vespers Service was held Jan. 8 followed by a Memorial Liturgy Jan. 9, both at Annunciation Chapel at the Maryknoll Center in Ossining. Sister Terry had requested her body be given to science.
Sister Teresa Eileen Alexander, M.M., a missioner serving in El Salvador when Maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke were murdered in 1980 by a military death squad, died Jan. 1 at Maryknoll Sisters Residential Care IV. She was 86.
Sister Teresa served in El Salvador at the height of the political violence, 1980-1981. Reflecting in 2010 on her experience there she called it "rather scary" explaining, "We (the sisters) stayed because we felt God had sent us to be especially with the poor, just to be able to walk with the people, to accompany them. As Sister Ita often said, ‘we live with the question now knowing the answers will come when needed.' We took the risk not to leave the poor, especially the women and children who could not leave."
In late 1981 she was sent to Guatemala, another country filled with political violence at the time but concentrated her efforts on evangelization. She went to Mexico in 1983, where she served in pastoral ministry among the people of Lazaro Cardenas, Merida and Yucatan, 1983-1988.
She returned to El Salvador in 1991, serving as a parish minister and volunteer in Santa Cruz and Soyapango through 2006. She returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining in 2007. She had earlier served in Panama, 1960-1980. She had also worked on the Maryknoll magazine then known as The Field Afar.
Born in Yellow Springs, Ohio, she entered the Maryknoll Sisters in 1945. She professed final vows in 1951. Primarily an educator and parish minister, Sister Terry as she became known, specialized in teaching religion, though she also taught commercial subjects.
Two sisters, Patricia Alexander and Clara Ann Belval, and two brothers, James and Jack, survive her.
A Vespers Service was held Jan. 8 followed by a Memorial Liturgy Jan. 9, both at Annunciation Chapel at the Maryknoll Center in Ossining. Sister Terry had requested her body be given to science.
Sister Teresa served in El Salvador at the height of the political violence, 1980-1981. Reflecting in 2010 on her experience there she called it "rather scary" explaining, "We (the sisters) stayed because we felt God had sent us to be especially with the poor, just to be able to walk with the people, to accompany them. As Sister Ita often said, ‘we live with the question now knowing the answers will come when needed.' We took the risk not to leave the poor, especially the women and children who could not leave."
In late 1981 she was sent to Guatemala, another country filled with political violence at the time but concentrated her efforts on evangelization. She went to Mexico in 1983, where she served in pastoral ministry among the people of Lazaro Cardenas, Merida and Yucatan, 1983-1988.
She returned to El Salvador in 1991, serving as a parish minister and volunteer in Santa Cruz and Soyapango through 2006. She returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Ossining in 2007. She had earlier served in Panama, 1960-1980. She had also worked on the Maryknoll magazine then known as The Field Afar.
Born in Yellow Springs, Ohio, she entered the Maryknoll Sisters in 1945. She professed final vows in 1951. Primarily an educator and parish minister, Sister Terry as she became known, specialized in teaching religion, though she also taught commercial subjects.
Two sisters, Patricia Alexander and Clara Ann Belval, and two brothers, James and Jack, survive her.
A Vespers Service was held Jan. 8 followed by a Memorial Liturgy Jan. 9, both at Annunciation Chapel at the Maryknoll Center in Ossining. Sister Terry had requested her body be given to science.
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