St. Oscar Romero | March 24

St. Oscar Romero | March 24

When St. Oscar Romero was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador in 1977, his country was in chaos. Many people in El Salvador were living in poverty, while a smaller elite group controlled all political and economic power. In 1980, El Salvador broke out in a 12-year civil war that left over 75,000 people dead. St. Oscar Romero set up pastoral programs to assist the victims of oppression. He also became an outspoken advocate for human rights, appealing to the Salvadoran military to stop killing their own citizens.

On March 24, 1980, St. Oscar Romero was murdered while celebrating Mass in El Salvador. A car pulled up outside, and a gunman fired a single shot straight into St. Oscar Romero’s heart.

Calling him a “a martyr for the faith” nearly 40 years later, Pope Francis canonized him in 2018. For the occasion, Pope Francis chose to wear the same blood-stained belt that Romero was wearing at the altar when he died.