By Alfonso Aguilar
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 7/15/04)

The president of El Salvador, Elías Antonio Saca, and his wife, Ana Ligia, visited Holy Family Church in Dale City for the afternoon Spanish Mass and to greet parishioners.

"Today a good friend of ours honors us with his presence," said Father, Eugenio Hoyos, pastor.

The president was accompanied by his chancellor Francisco Laínez, Ambassador René León and other members of the Salvadoran diplomatic staff.

"As a candidate, I came to Washington to receive a blessing in this parish, and I am here again to be blessed on behalf of my mission to the capital," said the 39-year-old president, who took office only a few weeks ago.

Saca is scheduled to meet with President George Bush and other U.S. officials to lobby for a new extension for the temporary program that permits some immigrants, among them Salvadorans, to remain and work legally in this country.

"If I need to come to Washington 20 times to speak out on your behalf, I will do it," he told parishioners at the conclusion of the Mass. The majority of the parish’s Hispanics are from El Salvador.

Saca, a prominent businessman, was a sports broadcaster and belongs to the right-of-center Nationalist Republican Alliance party (ARENA).

"I am not from El Salvador, but I felt very happy to see a very important person in our parish," said Lucía Arenas, whose last name is similar to that of the president’s party, which surprised her.