Oscar Romero was born in 1917 in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1942 and was named Bishop in 1970. After becoming Archbishop of San Salvador, and midst civil unrest and growing violence in the country, Romero was martyred while celebrating the Mass on March 24, 1980.

Opposing the militarized oligarchy in El Salvador, Romero championed the poor and lowly without fear. In his preaching and writing, Romero stressed the importance of the Church’s preferential option for the poor. In a country plagued by inequality and violence, it would have been easy for Romero to side with the rich and powerful. However, he sided with the poor and vulnerable, eventually leading to his death. We hope to show the same courage and fortitude in the face of injustice, and to have no duplicity in our words.

Having both been Catholic Workers in Houston at Casa Juan Diego, Oscar Romero is a special connection for us. Mark and Louise Zwick, founders of the Houston Catholic Worker, lived and worked in El Salvador in the 70s. They returned to the U.S. as the civil war began to rise. As hundreds of El Salvadorian refugees began arriving to the U.S., the Zwicks knew they had to do something, so in 1980 they founded Casa Juan Diego.

If you’d like to learn more about Oscar Romero, we recommend checking out these books:

• The Violence of Love: The Pastoral Vision of Archbishop Oscar Romero, Oscar Romero
• The Scandal of Redemption: When God Liberates the Poor, Saves Sinners, and Heals Nations, Oscar Romero
• Oscar Romero: Reflections on His Life and Writings, Renny Golden, Marie Dennis, Scott Wright