Saint Oscar Romero

Óscar Arnulfo Romero was born on August 15, 1917, in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. He studied in Rome, was ordained there in 1942 and returned to serve as a parish priest, seminary rector and bishop, known as a quiet and traditional man. In February 1977 he was named archbishop of San Salvador at a time of growing violence and repression.

Weeks later his friend, the Jesuit Father Rutilio Grande, was murdered along with two companions, and Romero's heart was deeply moved. From then on he spoke out fearlessly against killings, torture and injustice, and his Sunday homilies, broadcast by radio, gave hope to the poor and named their sufferings. On March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass in the chapel of the Divine Providence cancer hospital, he was shot dead at the altar. Pope Francis beatified him as a martyr in 2015 and canonized him on October 14, 2018.

In El Salvador thousands join candlelight processions and Masses in his memory, visiting his tomb in the crypt of San Salvador's cathedral and the hospital chapel where he died. Communities across Latin America and the US honor him with murals and vigils, and the United Nations marks March 24 as the International Day for the Right to the Truth in his memory.