2023

Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Salvador, the Titular Bishop of Tambeae, as Bishop of Santiago de María, and finally as the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador.

Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero received his early education in the local public school. After finishing public school, he was privately tutored by Anita Iglesias, until he was 13 years old. He was trained by his father in carpentry and had exceptional skills, however, he wanted to pursue further studies for priesthood. At the age of 13, he entered the minor seminary. When his mother became ill, he left the seminary and returned home for three months. When he graduated, he enrolled in the national seminary and then finally completed his studies at the Gregorian University in Rome.

In 1942, he was finally ordained. After his ordination, he pursued a doctorate in theology in Italy. However, before finishing his doctoral degree, he was summoned back home by the bishop. On his journey back home, he was detained and was placed in a series of internment camps. They were eventually released from Cuban custody and sailed on to Mexico, then traveled to El Salvador.

Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero was first assigned to serve as a parish priest in Anamoros, and then was moved to San Miguel where he worked for over 20 years. He promoted various apostolic groups, started an Alcoholics Anonymous group, helped in the construction of San Miguel’s cathedral, and supported devotion to Our Lady of Peace.

As archbishop, Romero spoke out against social injustice and violence amid the escalating conflict between the military government and left-wing insurgents that led to the Salvadoran Civil War. In 1980, Romero was shot by an assassin while celebrating Mass. Latin American church groups often proclaim Romero an unofficial patron saint of the Americas and El Salvador. Saint Oscar Arnulfo Romero is one of the ten 20th-century martyrs depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey in London.