Romero Service 2019 - The 'Prophetic Imagination' of St Oscar Romero

l-r: Fr Eamon O'Brien, Christine Allen, Fr Dan O'Malley

Red roses and candles around a bust of St Oscar Romero near the altar, an excellent talk on "prophetic imagination" and more than 100 people singing inspirational music about discipleship in today's world all formed part of Saturday's annual ecumenical service in London at the start of Romero Week. Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador was assassinated by a right-wing death squad on 24 March 1980 while saying Mass, and March sees events in his honour around the UK.

Marking the 39th anniversary of his martyrdom, Saturday's service was held at St Martin in the Fields Church, Trafalgar Square, and presided over by Revd Richard Carter of St Martin's, who noted that this was the first Romero service in the church since Romero was canonised last October. He was present at the Vatican on 14 October 2018, along with other members of the congregation, particularly Julian Filochowski, Chair of the Archbishop Romero Trust, Bishop John Rawsthorne, Clare Dixon, Stephen Davies, Martin Pendergast, Barbara Kentish and Maria Elena Arana. The congregation at St Martin's included representatives of CAFOD - including its new Director Christine Allen, the National Justice and Peace Network, Columbans and also homeless people, who always receive a warm welcome at St Martin's. There were people in the congregation from as far afield as Widnes, Southampton, and Cambridge. A minute's silence was held at the start to remember "our Muslim brothers and sisters in New Zealand".

The theme of the service was 'The Prophetic Imagination - St Oscar Romero's Challenge to Church and State'. It was developed in an excellent talk by David McLoughlin of Newman University in Birmingham who described Romero as an "unlikely prophet" whose mission developed into "a great cry of hope for us and our world". He reminded that Romero and other prophets feel called to speak out "in times of lament, of crisis, or accommodation, or forgetfulness when the original vision has grown dim and is now packaged into controllable parcels". He added that, "the depth of the conflict between the prophetic imagination of Jesus, his vision of God's reign, and the controlling manipulative oppressive powers of this world, become clear to Romero when his unexpected appointment as Archbishop of San Salvador, brought him personally up against the extremes of wealth and poverty in a new way, and the death of his friend Fr Rutilio Grande and his companions".

McLoughlin described Romero's last three years of life as "amazing years" and "in an increasingly focused way he lived out what Pope Francis now preaches". Romero was described as "the shepherd who smelt of his sheep, and lived and prayed and felt with the church as a member of staff in a field hospital rather than an ecclesiastical bureaucrat engaged in keeping a false peace, maintaining a blasphemous status quo". He quoted from a homily of Romero, "I ask all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to view these things that are happening in our historical moment with a spirit of hope, generosity, and sacrifice. And let us do what we can."

Revd Carter, at the conclusion of the service, underlined that the "Gospel of hope" which Archbishop Romero stood for, "is more needed than ever before and reflected that "we continue to celebrate Romero's voice speaking out on social justice". He invited the congregation to light a candle "in the name of peace and justice". One of the final prayers of the service was: "The Spirit of unity draws us all together to secure the liberation of the poor and destitute and the integrity of creation here and across the world. Amen"

Stirring Justice and Peace hymns were sung throughout, led by Chris Olding of Wheatsheaf Music. These included 'God has chosen me' by Bernadette Farrell', 'Now we remain' by David Haas and 'God you raise up true disciples' by Chris Olding.

Next Saturday 23 March, there will be a special Mass in St George's Cathedral, Southwark, at 12.30pm, celebrated by Archbishop Peter Smith, and the blessing of the Diocesan Romero shrine. Then on Sunday 24 March a 10.45am Mass at Sacred Heart Church, Lauriston Street, Edinburgh, celebrated by Archbishop Leo Cushley.

Details of events for Romero Week 2019, plus details of the Romero Trust Pilgrimage to El Salvador in November 2019. at: www.romerotrust.org.uk