The Transformation of a U.S. Missionary: The Recollections of Bishop Nicholas D'Antonio on His Ministry in Honduras
Nicholas D'Antonio served as a U.S. Franciscan missionary in Honduras from 1945 to 1975, first as a priest and then as bishop of Olancho. During this time, the Latin American church changed from an institution playing only a minimal role in the lives of most of its members, to a vigorous church...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
American Catholic Historical Society
2007
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| In: |
American catholic studies
Year: 2007, Volume: 118, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-20 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Nicholas D'Antonio served as a U.S. Franciscan missionary in Honduras from 1945 to 1975, first as a priest and then as bishop of Olancho. During this time, the Latin American church changed from an institution playing only a minimal role in the lives of most of its members, to a vigorous church deeply involved in the development of democratic reforms and the quest for social justice. D'Antonio, although not well-known outside of Honduras, played a significant role in this transition. Inspired by the Second Vatican Council and the Second Latin American Bishops' Conference at Medellín, Colombia, he created a pastoral plan for his prelature that became a model for other missionary enterprises. Due to his support of peasants who were demanding land reform, he soon incurred the wrath of wealthy landowners who labeled him a communist. On June 25, 1975, in response to a peasant "hunger march," soldiers in league with large landowners killed nine people including two Franciscan priests. Plans to murder D'Antonio were only foiled because he was out of the country at the time. Fearing that the truth might be misrepresented or lost over time, Bishop D'Antonio, decided to record his recollections of what took place. In so doing, he also included the story of his own transition from a traditional, pre-Vatican II missionary to one that committed himself to the church's "option for the poor." These recollections represent an important source for the study of Catholic mission history and, therefore, deserve to be printed for posterity. |
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| ISSN: | 2161-8534 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: American catholic studies
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