Romero Week 2015

The announcement that Archbishop Romero's beatification will take place on Pentecost Saturday May 23rd has brought great joy not only in El Salvador and Latin America but also in Britain and right across the universal church. So the events planned for this year's Romero Week offer a special opportunity to celebrate Romero and to learn more about the man and the martyr.

The Romero Trust's special guest this year is Fr Brian Pierce, a Dominican priest from Texas who spent some years in Honduras, El Salvador's neighbour, and has frequently offered written and spoken reflections on Archbishop Romero, his preaching and his charisma.

The theme he has chosen for his talks this year is 'He Heard their Voice: Archbishop Romero - Mystic and Prophet'.

He will be speaking at the following venues:

1. York at 7pm on Saturday March 21st at Our Lady's Parish, Acomb, York.

2. Edinburgh at 6pm on Sunday March 22nd at the Lauriston Centre, Sacred Heart Parish, Edinburgh (followed by Mass).

3. Glasgow at 7pm on Monday March 23rd at St Aloysius College (preceded by Mass).

4. Norwich at 7.45pm on Tuesday March 24th at the Narthex, Norwich Catholic Cathedral (preceded by Mass).

5. Oxford at 5pm on Wednesday March 25th at Blackfriars, Oxford. There will also be a study day with Brian Pierce organised in conjunction with CAFOD and the Conference of Religious on the same Romero theme on Friday March 27th in Southwark - further details from Susy Brouard at CAFOD reflection@cafod.org.uk.

* The key event of Romero Week is always the national ecumenical service held on 21 March at 11am at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London. This year the preacher is Cardinal Vincent Nichols and the theme of the service is "Romero's Martyrdom - A faith that does justice".

· In Wales there will be a talk in Cardiff at 7.30pm on Thursday March 19th at St David's Catholic College organised by CAFOD at which Julian Filochowski will speak on 'A Martyr's Legacy'.

· In St Albans on Monday March 23rd at 7.30pm in the Crypt of St Alban's Cathedral, Jan Graffius will give a talk and presentation entitled 'Blood and Sweat: the Witness of Oscar Romero's Life and Death'.

· In St Helens on Sunday March 22nd the annual Liverpool archdiocesan Romero Mass will be celebrated with Bishop John Rawsthorne presiding.

· In Birmingham on Tuesday March 24th there will be Mass in St Chad's Cathedral at 1pm, followed by a reception and talk on Archbishop Romero given by Clare Dixon.