Celebrating St Oscar Romero

Outside El Salvador, only Liverpool has held a Mass to mark the anniversary of the martyrdom of St Oscar Romero every year since his assassination.

At this year’s event Father Dominic Curran welcomed people to the church of St Edmund of Canterbury in the Parish of St Oscar Romero, a parish that was formed with St Thomas of Canterbury in 2020. It seemed a fitting location to honour the life of an archbishop, assassinated in 1980 and officially recognised as a saint by Pope Francis on 14 October 2018.

The Mass echoed the themes of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and St Oscar Romero’s own words to ‘generously share the gifts we have received, in service to others’. This was then picked up by Peggy Healy in a talk on behalf of the Romero Trust. Peggy was a Maryknoll Sister for over 20 years who knew St Romero. She described him as a simple and humble man, and quite unassuming in many ways, ‘but he had the impact of a giant. The impact of a saint’. Peggy also spoke of the darkness and the pain that she, St Romero, and her Maryknoll sisters experienced during El Salvador’s war-ravaged past. Nine months after Archbishop Romero was assassinated, death squads also killed Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel, and lay missioner, Jean Donovan.

Peggy spoke of her work in Central America, promoting human rights and accompanying marginalised people. Following this, the audience reflected how they could continue the legacy of St Romero in their own communities. Working towards what St Romero said, ‘using what we have received from the Spirit, we can build a common homeland’. If you would like to watch the Vigil Mass or listen to Peggy’s talk, please contact Pablo Guidi, Catholic Social Action Coordinator p.guidi@rcaol.org.uk

by Pablo Guidi