Class Saint
St Oscar Romero 1917-1980
Early Life
Saint Oscar Romero was a priest and the Archbishop of San Salvador in Central America. He was born on August 15, 1917 in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. By the time he reached 14, Oscar Romero wanted to become a priest. However, after only a few months into his studies, his mother became ill, so he left the seminary and began to work in a local gold mine to pay for her medicine.
Becoming the Archbishop of El Salvador
In 1942, Oscar Romero went to study to become a priest in Rome. After that, he returned to El Salvador and started to preach in schools and prisons and providing food for the poor. By 1970, he was made a bishop, which meant he was now an advisor to senior priests in El Salvador. In the years that followed, the country experienced an extreme level of violence. During this time, Oscar Romero continued to support the most needy in El Salvador.
Serving San Salvador
1977
Romero became the Archbishop of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador.
Later that year, his friend, Father Rutilio Grande, was killed. Oscar Romero gathered everyone at Mass and called for peace.
1979
Oscar Romero visited the Pope and talked to him about the challenges his people faced.
1980
In 1980, he wrote to the President of the United States of America and asked him to help stop soldiers killing innocent people. Romero was killed while celebrating Mass.