Mayra Tijerino, her husband Jaime Meza and their family pray during a special Mass for peace that St. Matthew Church hosted Aug. 24 after learning of her brother’s imprisonment in Nicaragua. Father Ramiro Tijerino was jailed Aug. 19 along with other priests, seminarians and laypeople, and their bishop was placed under house arrest. (Patricia L. Guilfoyle)CHARLOTTE — St. Matthew parishioners are embracing Mayra Tijerino and her family with prayers following the sudden arrest of her brother, a priest, in Nicaragua.
Nearly 2,000 miles away, Father Ramiro Tijerino sits in a prison cell, a political prisoner of the Nicaraguan government. For weeks, the family has heard nothing from him.
A Mass Aug. 24 at the Charlotte church was offered to comfort the family and pray for peace in the Central American country.
ARRESTED IN RAID
Father Ramiro was arrested Aug. 19 when federal police raided the diocesan offices of the Catholic bishop in Matagalpa, in northern Nicaragua. Bishop Rolando
Álvarez was put under house arrest.
Others arrested in the predawn raid were Fathers José Luis Diaz, Sadiel Eugarrios and Raúl González; seminarians Darvin Leyva and Melquín Sequeira; and cameraman Sergio Cárdenas, all from the Diocese of Matagalpa.
Father Ramiro and the others are among over 100 political prisoners now languishing in Managua’s notorious El Chipote prison – swept up in an escalating crackdown of the Church by President Daniel Ortega.
Their imprisonment and the arrest of Bishop Álvarez – one of Ortega’s most prominent critics not already in jail – have prompted renewed calls for peace.
WORRIED FAMILY
Father Ramiro Tijerino (Provided photo)Mayra and her family, members of St. Matthew Church, know exactly what Father Ramiro and the others are going through. Her son Manuel was in the same prison in 2018. After eight months he was released from El Chipote, and the family fled to safety in America.
Manuel recalls his 12-by-12 prison cell had “no ventilation, no power, no water, no bathroom. We would see daylight for 10 minutes every other week.”
The 50-year-old Father Ramiro suffers from ill health, and Mayra and her family are worried about the lack of food and medicine for him in El Chipote.
Yet the family knows his faith is strong.
“They said they were all willing to die for Nicaragua’s freedom,” Mayra said.
Father Ramiro serves as rector of John Paul II University in Managua. He and his brother priests, led by Bishop Álvarez, are ardent advocates for Nicaragua’s poor and marginalized.
Father Ramiro works with low-income parishioners, saying Mass in rural chapels and ministering to the local residents, Mayra said.
“The people are very humble, always praying,” she said.
Nicaraguan police said Bishop Álvarez is under investigation for “trying to organize violent groups, inciting them to execute acts of hate against the population, provoking an environment of chaos and disorder, disturbing the peace and harmony in the community with the objective of destabilizing the Nicaraguan state and attacking the constitutional authorities.”
The announcement came on the heels of Bishop Álvarez vociferously objecting to regulators ordering the closure of Catholic radio stations in the Matagalpa diocese. Parishioners had tried to impede police confiscating equipment.
Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua visited Bishop Álvarez Aug. 19 and described him as “physically deteriorated, but spiritually strong,” according to the Nicaraguan bishops’ conference. The bishop’s statement was subdued – a reflection of the risks of speaking out in Nicaragua.
CHURCH PERSECUTED
Ortega, who has been in power for 15 years, has been openly hostile to the Church.
The Nicaraguan president has called the bishops “terrorists” and “devils in cassocks.” He alleged they were part of an attempted coup to drive him from office in 2018 because they supported anti-government demonstrations that his regime brutally suppressed.
Since Ortega was reelected in 2018 – widely denounced as a rigged ballot – attacks against the Church have escalated: Church charitable projects have been prohibited, priests arrested or stopped from celebrating Mass, and the Missionaries of Charity expelled.
The Nicaraguan bishops mediated a national dialogue in 2018 after protests erupted. Talks broke down, however, as the bishops said they saw little goodwill on the government side.
Bishop Álvarez took part in the talks. In a 2021 interview with Catholic News Service, he defended the dialogues, which he said were held as “Nicaragua was literally bleeding to death, and it was necessary for all the parties directly involved to sit down and talk to make an effort to find a solution.”
Of the Church in Nicaragua since 2018, he said, “We have experienced firsthand what it means to be a Church in exodus, a Church that leaves its parishes, a Church on the periphery accompanying the most vulnerable, the poorest, the simplest, a Church ... that we have not only lived conceptually, but experientially.”
MASS OFFERED
The bilingual Mass at St. Matthew Church Aug. 24 drew several hundred people to pray for the Tijerino family and for peace in Nicaragua.
Father Miguel Sanchez, who ministers to the family, spoke in his homily of how Jesus’ disciples were treated.
“Following Him was challenging,” Father Sanchez said, and the apostles were called to self-sacrifice. Yet they remained undeterred – acting with faith, hope and the desire to spread the Good News.
“Our Lord’s invitation to follow Him involves setting out on a journey that is a difficult journey, that requires us to lead a life always striving to do God’s will,” he said.
“Even if it this will involve fighting for our rights to profess our faith.”
He prayed that the Mass and everyone’s continued prayers would bring peace to all those affected by injustice – in Nicaragua and elsewhere.
“We lift our voices for all those who have been deprived of their liberty because of the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We ask all governments to respect the religious liberty and the expression of faith of all Christians around the world.
“Lord, we ask: Bring peace to our countries, bring peace to our people, bring peace to our communities, and bring peace to our families.”
“Long live Christ the King… Viva Cristo Rey!” he said.
Father John Allen, pastor of St. Matthew Church, said the Mass was an important expression of solidarity with the suffering Church in Nicaragua.
“In times of violence, in times of oppression, and in times of sadness,” Father Allen said, “we draw strength from the Eucharistic sacrifice of Our Lord and from the
prayers of the glorious Virgin Mary under the title of ‘Purísima’ (‘Mary Most Pure’), the title with which she is venerated with great devotion in Nicaragua.”
The congregation prayed that through the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary, Ortega would “release immediately all those who are so unjustly held in captivity, and that a time of peace, religious freedom, and human flourishing for all God’s children will soon prevail in that beautiful country.”
After the Mass, the Tijerino family expressed their gratitude for everyone’s support during what has been a “difficult, challenging time.”
“Thank you all for attending this Mass,” said Mayra’s husband, Jaime Meza.
“We would like to ask you to have Nicaragua in your prayers,” he said, and to pray especially for Father Ramiro, Bishop Álvarez and all political prisoners in the country.
“We are hopeful with your prayers, and God’s help, this will end very soon.”
CALLS FOR PEACE
Meanwhile, Pope Francis continues to call for dialogue. During his Aug. 21 Angelus address, the pope did not specifically mention Bishop Álvarez’s arrest, but he prayed for peace in Nicaragua through Mary’s intercession.
“I would like to express my conviction and my hope that, through an open and sincere dialogue, the basis for a respectful and peaceful co-existence might still be found,” he said.
“Let us ask the Lord, through the intercession of the ‘Purísima,’ to inspire everyone’s heart with this concrete will.”
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle. Catholic News Service and ACI Prensa contributed