Thirty-year anniversary morning

The thirtieth anniversary of the martyrdom of San Romero de las Américas was marked by many events, sponsored by three main groups: the government, the 'official' Roman group and then a third group, the Concertación de Romero. We attended events sponsored by the last group.

The day started with a mass at the chapel at the Divina Providencia cancer hospital where Romero was assassinated. There would later be a mass in the crypt at the cathedral but I did not get to it. Nor did I get to participate in the procession from Divina Providencia to the cathedral, though I would have greatly enjoyed it (despite the sun!).

We got to Divina Providencia in the Mira Monte part of San Salvador about ten minutes before the service actually got going. There was lots of milling around beforehand.


The crowd grew even after we went inside but there was already a good crowd before the mass began. People were handing out posters which I gladly took.


The idea throughout the week was that I would accompany the bishop, not really as a body guard because I certainly am not trained but as a witness should anything untoward happen and perhaps, because of being a gringa, it might stop someone from doing something. Of course, obviously these concerns never came to bear but they were in our minds.

It came as a surprise, therefore, to find myself walking down the aisle with him, leading off the procession no less!, and then being directed to sit up front to the left of the altar. Bishop Barahona started out next to me but the organisers then invited him to go up with the other luminaries.


These luminaries were each invited to speak. Bishop Barahona was introduced as having survived an assassination attempt. People applauded him for his witness and even more so after he spoke. He spoke with passion about justice and the Anglican Episcopal Church of El Salvador's preferential option for the poor.


[This photo is cribbed from someone's facebook page.] After Bishop Barahona spoke, I could see him talking with the organiser (the man next to me in the photo) and pointing at me. I thought, 'Oh no... I know where this is going and I have prepared nothing ahead of time.' The organiser said he did not even dare to try to say my name and he introduced me as 'hermana.' So I introduced myself as la Revda Canóniga de la Iglesia Episcopal de los Estados Unidos y 16 otros paises and Fundación Cristosal. It was a great honour to be able to speak; only eight of us did.


The chapel got even more full as the service went on. I took this during the introductions when people were still arriving.


People from all around the world (Palestine, Cuba, Chicago, for starters) gave gifts which ended up on the altar. You have to admit, I had an excellent vantage point.


After the mass, people spilled out into the street and got set up for their procession to the cathedral. There were far more people at the end of the mass than at the beginning.


As you can see, hay gente.


And here is a little sabor of what the procession involved.