Not Above the Fray: Religious and Political Divides' Impact on U.S. Missionary Sisters in 1980s Nicaragua

Prompted by the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, in late October 1983, provincials and generals of units with sisters in Nicaragua met to discuss what, if anything, U.S. missionaries might do to address divides in the Nicaraguan Church. Following Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza's departure in July 1979, the country struggled to find its way, both politically and religiously. Though most Nicaraguans cheered Somoza's exit, they did not agree regarding the new Sandinista government or what the role of the Church should be. At the same time, the U.S. government sought to undermine the revolution through economic and military means, including support for the contras, the counterrevolutionaries who sought to overthrow the Sandinista government. Surprisingly, in calling for the meeting, women religious did not mention the U.S. government's role or their status as U.S. missionaries. Their omission suggested that they regarded themselves as unaffected by the Nicaraguan divisions. However, as the meeting revealed, the women were profoundly impacted, and they were divided amongst themselves and even within their own communities. While prior scholarship has highlighted missionary opposition to U.S. foreign policy, the October 1983 meeting revealed a missionary community struggling to respond, both individually and collectively, to Nicaraguan divisions.