El Salvador Experience 2026 January 22, 2026

Reflection by S. Diane Capuano:

Since 2013, Molloy University in Rockville Centre, Long Island, and Dominican University in Blauvelt, New York, have collaborated to bring students, alumni, and mentors to La Union in El Salvador. Together, they assist Dominican Sister of Amityville, Flor de Maria Buruca, in running camps for children in the villages of Sol Naciente, Once, and San Francisco.

This year, seven students, six alumni, Dominican Sister of Blauvelt and Director of Mission at Dominican University Jennifer Schaaf and the Director of Mission and Ministry at Molloy University and Associate Michelle Martin. I had the privilege of joining Sister Flor in her ministry with the children and communities.

The theme of the camp, “Jesus, tu amor me llama” (Jesus, Your love calls me), came alive through art, music, prayer, community service, and play. Each day, the children were divided into groups to explore these activities in the morning and enjoy playtime after lunch. The camp ran from 8 AM to 2 PM. It was truly inspiring to see the bonds formed through mutual care, respect, and love. After camp each day, we explored beautiful beaches and savored delicious Salvadorian cuisine with pupusas and chocolate-covered bananas among our favorites.

On the Feast of the Three Kings, January 6th, we participated in a special celebration, starting with a procession of the Holy Family and culminating with Mass, a festive celebration including dancing with a Mariachi Band, and the distribution of bags of food and toys for the children. The simplicity and beauty of this night touched us all!

Each evening, we shared moments of silence and reflection, listening to each other’s experiences and recognizing the transformative impact of this short mission immersion experience. We concluded each night by singing the Dominican Magnificat.

As these ten days flew by, we found ourselves saying emotional goodbyes, especially to the children. Language barriers faded away as love, the universal language, connected us all and reminded us of our shared humanity. We are all one!

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“Jesus, tu amor me llama” (Jesus, your love calls me and calls all of us)”

Thank you so much for your unwavering support for this trip!

Diane Capuano, OP

Dominican Sister of Amityville