The Massacre at St. Patrick's - International Memorial
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Five consecrated men gunned-down in their own home by a Naval death squad. The killers are known and they are free.  The only individual condemned is the journalist who first investigated the massacre.  Why should a democratic society tolerate such injustice?
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The Massacre at St. Patrick's - Bullets on the red carpet soaked with the five martyrs' blood.  A silent witness that screams for justice.

 

 

 

The TV Documentary: "The Honor Of God"

SeisdedosGabriel Seisdedos' had never met a priest in his life.   Educated in the Jewish tradition, he learned the importance of the keeping of the memory.  While he was on the Board of Directors of the Engelmajer Foundation in Buenos Aires, he was introduced to a fellow Director: Father Thomas O'Donnell.   Gabriel had just finished a documentary on the Foundation's work with recovering drug addicts. 

After their first encounter, he walked back with Father O'Donnell to St. Patrick's church, located just two blocks away from the Foundation.   The priest invited him in.  Gabriel could not avoid seeing the five portraits hanging at the house's entrance.  After mentioning the names of the five martyrs, Father O'Donnell showed Gabriel the red carpet where they were killed.   To break the silence that the red carpet imposes on all visitors, Father O'Donnell asked him: "It would be a good idea to tell their story, don't you think?"

That was the beginning of a project that would lead both men through a massive ordeal, changing them and those around them forever.  With Ivan Marino as the cameraman and a short list of names, Gabriel embarked on a three-year investigation.  His purpose was to find the truth about the death of five consecrated men in their living room, at the hands of the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina for seven atrocious years.

His investigation led him to interview neighbors, friends and families of the victims, Pallottine priests, former revolutionaries, politicians, judges, bishops, government officials, writers, and ultimately, the only Navy officer who had ever admitted to the genocidal methods utilized during "the dirty war."

The Interview with ScilingoScilingo

Gabriel Seisdedos interviewed Retired Captain Adolfo Scilingo in prison, where he was jailed for fraud.   His testimony about his participation in the Navy's death flights had been published by journalist Horacio Verbitsky in his book "The Flight" ("El Vuelo") now printed in English as well.  Mike Wallace had previously interviewed Scilingo on April 2, 1995 about his participation on the infamous "death flights" for the CBS television magazine "60 MINUTES."   That week, "Newsweek" and "Time" magazines published commentaries on Scilingo's statements.

Scilingo agreed to appear on Seisdedos' TV documentary to confirm that a Navy death squad commanded by Captain Antonio Pernias killed the Pallottines.  Scilingo was in charge of hiding the two cars utilized in the crime while he was working at the ESMA (Superior School of Naval Mechanics) -- the most notorious Naval concentration camp.  Never before an official from any of the Argentine Armed Forces had clearly acknowledged the Navy's participation in the massacre of the Pallottines.  Captain Pernias had admitted only to torturing prisoners to a Senate Committee in charge of reviewing his promotion. Thanks to the pressure created by the media, his promotion was denied -- although it had been secretly approved by President Menem.  

Broadcasts

Gabriel Seisdedos' TV documentary was presented at The Latin American Workshop in New York on June 8, 1997, in conjunction with the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival at Lincoln Center.  The edition of the documentary was completed at WUSF-TV16, at the University of South Florida, Tampa, USA.

The program had its 1998 broadcasting in Boston Catholic TV (July 4-5) and WUSF-TV16 in Tampa (July 13).  This gave the Argentine Pallottine Community the chance to enter the program for the South Florida Emmy Awards' Chapter for that year.

The documentary is currently being offered to television stations worldwide for broadcasting.  It is also being offered to religious communities, universities, and Human Rights organizations for educational purposes.  

To obtain a copy, please e-mail five@fivemartyrs.org

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