Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador
24 March -- Commemoration
If observed as a Lesser Festival, Common of Martyrs, page 464
Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdamez was born in a small village
in El Salvador in 1917. Ordained priest, he was known as a
quiet and unassuming pastor. By 1977, amidst the political
and social turmoil suffered by his country, he was therefore
seen as a neutral choice to be its Archbishop.
Courageously, however, he began to speak out against
violence and his homilies supported the demands of the poor
for economic and social justice. He refused to be silenced
and continued to preach even under threat of assassination.
On this day in 1980, whilst presiding at Mass, Archbishop
Romero was assassinated by a gunman. He has since been
widely regarded as a martyr for the faith.