The academic year had finished and Fr. Lorenzo left for El Salvador with the seminarians to spend a day off, resting and enjoying themselves at the beach. A huge freak wave caught the four seminarians totally by surprise while they were swimming. In the rescue attempt Fr. Lorenzo managed to save two of them. Even helped by other bathers Lorenzo had to be rescued himself from the sea together with the third student. Nothing could be done to save Omar.
The Day of the Order in Guatemala was celebrated with a requiem for young Omar, a seminarian who drowned last Wednesday, 3rd December, pulled under by a wave while three companions of his and Fr. Lorenzo Perez Eulate Bermejo were saved. The Augustinian Recollect, in charge of formation, took a main part in the rescue of two of the young men and finally he himself had to be rescued by others while he tried to reach the shore with the second seminarian.
The priest was see to in the Central Hospital in the Salvadorian capital with what at first seemed to be heart problems. Later it was confirmed that he had water on the lungs caused in the rescuing of the seminarians. He was able to return to Guatemala on Saturday 6th December.
Funeral
The réquiem for Omar was celebrated on Friday, the Day of the Order. He was 21 yrs old and would have started his novitiate next year.
At this difficult time the religious of the Delegation joined with the community of St. Augustine’s Seminary in Guatemala and the other seminarians who have been deeply shocked by the events. Bishop Mario Molina, who was involved with formation at the seminary for a number of years presided at the Mass.
Doña Emilia, Omar’s mother, seems calm. Omar was the only son she had in Guatemala. The other three live in the USA. Northamerican laws do not allow people to travel for them to be together at this time.
<