What secrets lie behind the seemingly tranquil facade of Iglesia Santa Cruz? This unassuming church in the San Cristobal neighborhood of Buenos Aires holds a story of profound resilience and courage. Iglesia Santa Cruz became a sanctuary during Argentina’s darkest hour, a beacon of hope amidst the brutal repression of the military dictatorship.
Iglesia Santa Cruz, under the Passionist Congregation, isn’t just a place of worship. It’s a living testament to the struggle for human rights. In the 1970s, as the Dirty War raged, it became a meeting point for families of the disappeared. Mothers, desperate for news of their children, sought solace and support within these walls. They gathered in the Salon Nazareth, the Salon de la Memoria, and other rooms, sharing their anguish and organizing their resistance. Among them were the founders of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, whose unwavering spirit would challenge a regime.
The church also provided refuge for two French nuns, Léonie Duquet and Alice Domon, who worked tirelessly with the Mothers. Their presence brought international attention to the atrocities occurring in Argentina. However, their activism came at a steep price. In a cruel twist of fate, Alfredo Astiz, a naval officer and notorious torturer, infiltrated the gatherings at Iglesia Santa Cruz, posing as a concerned family member. He gained the trust of the Mothers and nuns, gathering information that would lead to their capture.
On December 8, 1977, a day of celebration for the Immaculate Conception, tragedy struck. As the families left the evening mass at Iglesia Santa Cruz, Astiz identified four individuals for abduction. Ford Falcons, the sinister symbol of the regime, descended upon the church. Over the next few days, eight more people connected to the church were taken, including the two French nuns and the founders of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo. They became known as the “Twelve of Santa Cruz.” They were taken to the ESMA, the notorious Navy Mechanics School, a clandestine detention and torture center. Most were subjected to horrific torture and then murdered in the “death flights,” their bodies dumped into the Rio de la Plata.
Years later, the remains of some of the Twelve, including Léonie Duquet, Esther Ballestrino de Careaga, María Ponce de Bianco, and Ángela Auad, were washed ashore and identified. Their remains are now interred or symbolically “sown” in the Solar de la Memoria, a memorial garden on the church grounds. Twelve stone markers stand as a tribute to their courage, each bearing a poignant inscription from a loved one. Alice Domon’s body was never recovered.
Iglesia Santa Cruz remains a potent symbol of resistance and a testament to the power of faith and love in the face of unimaginable cruelty. The church’s legacy serves as a constant reminder to never forget the victims of the Dirty War and to continue fighting for justice and human rights.