Archbishop Oscar Romero remembered

Friday, Jun. 05, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY —Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador was celebrating Mass when he was shot and killed on March 24, 1980.

On May 23, 2015 in San Salvador, El Salvador, the day before Pentecost, he was officially beatified, bringing him closer to being named a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. 

As part of the celebrations, the Diocese of Salt Lake City offered a Thanksgiving Mass for his beatification on May 26 at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe and administrator of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, presided at the Mass, which was concelebrated by almost all the Salvadorian priests serving in the diocese; various deacons assisted. 

The Cathedral was filled with faithful Catholics from various parishes; many of them were Salvadorian. According to the 2010 census the state of Utah is home to nearly 8,000 Salvadorians.

With a portrait of Archbishop Romero placed in front of the altar, the celebration was filled with history, emotion, and joy.

Deacon Armando Solorzano, who gave the homily, first expressed his thanks to Archbishop Wester for giving him the opportunity to preach.

“This is a great honor for me,” said Solorzano to Archbishop Wester, then  he continued with a description of the events that happened in 1980 in San Salvador.

Archbishop Romero “was killed at the altar,” said Deacon Solorzano. “He fell on the floor as he was raising the chalice. … His blood was spilled on the floor as the blood of Jesus … they mixed together.”

Romero was archbishop of San Salvador during the time leading up to his country’s 1979-1992 civil war, when many civilians, including priests and nuns, were killed by military death squads. 

“He was, at a time of deep division and sorrow in your land [El Salvador], an inspirational spiritual leader, a courageous defender of human rights, a protector of the vulnerable, and a brave champion of social justice,” Deacon Solorzano said to the congregation.

“Because of his refusal to be silent in the face of repression and violence, Archbishop Romero came under threat himself, saying, ‘If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people,’” the deacon said. “In the end, the bullets that killed him on March 24, 1980 could not diminish in any way the example of his life, his blunt eloquence, his love for others, or the loyalty he demonstrated to his followers.”

Deacon Solorzano said that while in the sainthood process beatification normally requires that a miracle be proven to have been caused by the deceased person, for him a miracle already has happened.

“On the day of his beatification in El Salvador, many of those whom it is presumed had part in his assassination, were there in the church; government, military and people were gathered in the same place celebrating the life of Romero. … What a wonderful testimony of a miracle,” said Deacon Solorzano. “Many Salvadorans already credit Romero with miracles and refer to him as “Saint Romero of the Americas.”