Maura Clarke

Maura Clarke, MM (January 13, 1931 – December 2, 1980), was an American Maryknoll Sister who served as a missionary in Nicaragua and El Salvador. She worked with the poor and refugees in Central America from 1959 until her murder in 1980. On December 2, 1980, she was beaten, raped, and murdered along with three fellow missionaries — Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel and Jean Donovan — by members of the military of El Salvador.

Early life and education Mary Elizabeth Clarke was born in Fordham Hospital to Irish Catholic immigrant parents John and Mary Clarke. Her father was a member of the Irish Republic Army, which inspired her from a young age to fight oppression. At age two, Clarke, her parents, and newborn brother moved to Rockaway, Queens. Clarke initially struggled as a postulant, desiring to serve a community rather than follow monastic rules. After graduating from Maryknoll Teachers College in 1954, she taught in the Bronx. On December 2, while returning from the airport, the four were attacked by the military.

Legacy A mass is held in Rockaway annually in honor of Clarke. In St. Francis de Sales Church, stained glass windows depicting Clarke were installed.