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This week’s missionary hero is Sister Joan Sawyer from Donegore in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
As a young adult, Joan joined the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban and made her profession in 1957. In 1971, she was sent to work in the United States before being sent to Peru, South America, in 1977.
In Peru, Sr. Joan worked in very poor neighborhoods in Lima and also rural communities in the Andes. While Sr. Joan was in Peru, it was being ravaged by a civil war.
Sr. Joan also did prison work in one of the worst prisons in the world, Lurigancho. It was in this dreadful place that Sr. Joan lost her life.
On December 14, 1983, Sr. Joan was doing her prison ministry when nine prisoners decided to make an escape attempt. The prisoners took four Sisters (3 Marists and Sr. Joan) plus two volunteer social workers who had come to the prison to help prepare for a Christmas celebration.
After negotiations with the prisoners, the prison officials agreed to allow the prisoners an ambulance to make their get-away. Along with the prisoners were five of the hostages, including Sr. Joan. Unfortunately, once the ambulance was outside the prison walls, the law enforcement officials opened fire. Sr. Joan was one of the people killed by the officials.
Today, Sr. Joan Sawyer’s memory lives on. In 1984, a huge wooden cross was erected where the murders took place on which is written the names of those who were killed.
