Congressman McGovern and John Ford '02, Nephew of Slain Maryknoll Nun, Part of Panel Discussion

WORCESTER, Mass. – U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, John Ford ’02, Paul Posner, professor of Latin American studies at Clark University, and Jon Niconchuk ’09, will take part in a panel discussion titled “Discovering El Salvador” on April 7 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 519 of the Hogan Campus Center at the College of the Holy Cross. The event, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the congressman’s office, the Office of the College Chaplains, Student Programs for Urban Development (SPUD), and the Student Government Association (SGA).

McGovern, who has visited Latin America numerous times over the last few decades, and the other participants will share personal stories, discuss U.S. policy, and talk about issues of social justice and human rights that El Salvador has faced and continues to face. The discussion will focus on the past, present and future of the country.

John Ford is the nephew of Ita Ford, a Maryknoll nun killed in El Salvador while working with the poor during the brutal civil war that raged for a decade in the 1980s. She was raped and murdered along with three fellow nuns on Dec. 2, 1980. Ford was born three days before Ita was killed. His family has spent the last 27 years keeping Ita’s memory alive and encouraging Americans to make a commitment to social justice. John has spoken about his aunt at Holy Cross and has spoken and protested at the School of the Americas. He is a corporate lawyer in New York City.

Niconchuk, a Spanish major with a minor in chemistry who is in the premedical program, participated in a chaplains’ office trip to El Salvador, studied abroad in Costa Rica this past summer, and has traveled to Guatemala several times to visit family. He is director of community relations for the SGA.

The event is organized by Katie Clay ’09, a political science and Spanish double major, and Kymberly Cianci, a member of the Class of 2008 at Clark.  They both currently intern at McGovern’s office in Worcester. Their goal is to raise student and community awareness about human rights and social justice issues in Latin America and how the U.S. has impacted the area in the past, and seek ways to improve the situation in the future.