“Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people”
Today is the Feast of Oscar Romero who is an example to us in listening to God.
He was born in El Salvador and became an Archbishop in 1977. In El Salvador there was a lot of inequality - a few families were very rich and owned lots of land but most people were poor and earned very little. People became angry at this unfairness. Many people, like Romero, spoke out against what was happening. But the rich were powerful – if people complained they were put in prison or even killed. Even so, Romero stood alongside his people and continued to speak out against injustice. On 24 March 1980, Romero was killed while saying Mass.
Romero is remembered for his courage, his faith and, above all, his great love for the poor.
Activity
In El Salvador, there is a tradition of producing colourful crucifixes. The bright decorations have a figure of Jesus at the centre but also include images of the local community set in a Salvadoran landscape. They have become known as Romero crosses in England and Wales.
Use our template to design your own cross
You may like to include drawings or cut-out photos for your own family, school, parish or other community.