Between October and December of 2023, in the context of the Service-Learning course “Surviving Memory in Post-War El Salvador,” taught at KU Leuven (Belgium) and linked to the introductory course on research methodology at the Central American University in San Salvador with Professor Alex Renderos, architecture students explored several projects. One of them was the extension of the Templo de Mártires y Heroínas [Temple of Martyrs and Heroines] of the Ecclesiastical Base Community (CEB) in the Segundo Montes Community, in Morazán. The course at KU Leuven focused on a visual exploration, encouraging a sensitive and subjective observation of each project. Several ideas emerged in the works of Tina Chaova and Ijeoma Ruben.

The first observation highlights the symbolic value of the temple's idiosyncratic hexagonal shape and the recognizable traditional typology of the meeting room, located in a natural environment with abundant vegetation. The second suggestion recommends taking advantage of the topography of the land to facilitate activities and create an essential relationship between the landscape and community activities. This implies, both symbolically and physically, recognizing and respecting the topography, affirming belonging to a place with its own identity, a "genius loci", especially relevant in the context of the historical repopulation of the area during the civil war.

In January 2024, a first design proposal was developed in collaboration with Evelia Macal, Thomas Montulet, and AgwA architects. This proposal was based on the description of the program of intentions developed in the 2022 participatory workshop in Segundo Montes and on the themes identified during the course at KU Leuven with UCA.

The proposal seeks to continue with the existing dynamic, making slight modifications to the existing buildings to emphasize their uniqueness and compliment them with new elements.

The hexagonal temple is modified through two main actions: the demolition of an angular tower to solve humidity problems and extend the mural painting towards the entrance, and the possible elevation of the second tower, thus profoundly changing the perception of the hexagon as the founding element of the temple.

The plan is to upgrade the kitchen in the meeting room and to integrate bathrooms, while maintaining respect for the rural typology, with a front corridor. A covered terrace in the shape of an equilateral triangle will connect the temple and the rural house. This space will function for various activities, such as workshops and meetings, complementing the closed room of the house and the ceremonial space in the temple. This physical connection between the three elements will create a functional chain.

The storage room, located next to the temple, will be expanded to form a perfect square, better matching the scale of the communal spaces. The geometric perfection of the square will contrast with the informality of the masonry, concrete and steel construction, and irregular roofs.

Finally, the proposal for the rear of the temple, which overlooks a beautiful, wooded area, involves the creation of a “memorial balcony.” This will be a roofed gallery paved with terracotta bricks, bearing the names of the victims. The gallery, supported by a single row of thin steel columns, will form a curved line that continues with the play of singular shapes of the complex.

Finally, the topology of the land will be particularly exploited in the rear area, where the creation of a natural amphitheater, under the shade of the trees, with a circular shape, is planned. This design reflects a balance between perfection and imperfection; while the shapes have a formal rigidity, they also show the freedom of the hand that draws them, adapting to the reality of the topology and the peculiarities of a handmade construction.

This approach allows the front garden to remain free of construction, making it an ideal symbolic space for large groups to gather. Sculptures of historical figures significant to the community will be placed in this garden, adding a commemorative and educational element to the space.

The complete integration of these spaces involves a final major intervention: the opening of the rear wall of the temple to make a window or a door. This opening, which will be used in specific circumstances such as during commemorations, connects the symbolic garden, the temple, the memorial gallery and the tree-lined amphitheater, thus creating a unified and meaningful sequence of spaces that reflect the history and spirit of the community.

Background: Segundo Montes

SJ Segundo Montes, a Jesuit priest, was a tireless defender of human rights in El Salvador. He founded the Instituto de los Derechos Humanos de la UCA (IDHUCA) [Human Rights Institute of the Central American University, San Salvador] and distinguished himself as a sociologist and researcher, publishing numerous books, essays and editorials on the state of the civilian population in refugee camps inside and outside El Salvador during the civil war. As part of his commitment, he visited the refugee camps of Colomoncagua and San Antonio in Honduras during the war.

In addition, the UNHCR, ECLAC and UNDP commissioned him to conduct research on the living conditions of more than 8,000 Salvadoran refugees, and their desire to return to El Salvador, in the framework of the International Conference on Central American Refugees, which took place in Guatemala in May 1989.

Living conditions in the Colomoncagua camp were very precarious, with the population under-resourced, under surveillance, and suffering persecution by the Salvadoran and Honduran army, including being subject to murders, torture, rape and military operations. Despite these difficulties, the population became more organized and developed a community modeled on solidarity. They worked together in sewing, construction, collective kitchens, vegetable gardens, embroidery, hammock making, literacy training, schools, health promotion, among other activities, but without making use of money due to their confinement and lack of resources.

After the conference in Guatemala, Father Segundo Montes gave the refugees documents authorizing their repatriation and the exact location where they would live upon their return. Despite the suspension of the right of return due to the Final Offensive launched by the FMLN on November 11, 1989, the refugees managed to organize their return. Although the planned date was November 9, bureaucratic problems delayed their departure. On November 16, the murder of the Jesuits at the UCA (Central American University, San Salvador) plunged the community into mourning, but also motivated it to continue seeking to return. On November 18, the first group of 712 refugees left Colomoncagua on foot, followed by a second group on December 9, also on foot. The third group, with support from the government and UNHCR, left on January 14, 1990, in trucks, thus completing the process of repatriation.

On March 25, 1990, they founded their settlement in the municipalities of Meanguera and Jocoaitique, in the Department of Morazán, in the northeast of El Salvador, in extremely precarious conditions, and gave it the name Segundo Montes City. Thus the community was born, even in the midst of war and in a conflict zone, starting from scratch, and achieved amazing results in areas such as health, education, housing and well-being, despite the economic difficulties and stigmatization that the repatriated population has faced. The community's motto is "If you are silent, the stones will speak."

Ecclesial Base Communities

La Comunidad Eclesial de Base (CEB) [Ecclesial Base Communities] is a term used in the context of Liberation Theology, a stream of the Catholic Church. It refers to a group of Christians who meet regularly to share their faith, study the Bible, and participate in community service activities. CEBs focus on the active participation and co-responsibility of their members, promoting the formation of lay leaders and collective decision-making.

CEBs emerged in Latin America in the 1960s as part of the Church renewal movement known as Liberation Theology. This movement sought greater participation of the faithful in the life of the Church and a deeper understanding of the Gospel in the context of poverty and social injustice. CEBs became a means of empowering local communities, fostering solidarity, and addressing people’s social and spiritual needs.CEB meetings often include Bible study and reflection, prayer, celebration of the Eucharist (in some communities), discussion of social issues, and planning of pastoral and service activities. CEBs may also be involved in promoting social justice, defending human rights, and advocating for the marginalized.

It is important to note that CEBs are not an official structure of the Catholic Church, but rather a grassroots movement that develops at a local level and can vary in its organization and practices depending on each specific community and context. However, they have been recognized and supported by various bishops and Church leaders as an effective means of evangelization and social transformation.

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