William Quijano, a young man of Sant'Egidio, was killed by the maras, the violent gangs of El Salvador, on 28 September 2009. He believed in the School of Peace for children as an alternative to the school of violence. The Community remembers William in prayer on the day of his death.
In his country, El Salvador, many young people follow the example of William Quijano and remember him gathering and praying on 28th September every year. They have listened to the testimony of Francisco Guevara, a close friend of William, on the web.
During the evening prayer in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, Andrea Riccardi recalled William saying that he dreamed a different life for the young and children of Central America, dominated by violence. "His blood is a message of pain and a plea of love," he said, to indicate how a small story, that may be forgotten, has a profound meaning of life not lived in vain because it is dedicated to the Gospel and the poor.
