Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San Salvador (Agenzia Fides) - "El Salvador prepares the most important days of its history" is one of the headlines that circulates in the capital San Salvador in recent days. "We have waited 35 years", says a woman who every day took part in the Mass celebrated at the tomb of Mgr. Romero. The authorities of the Church and the government have joined forces to prepare the beatification ceremony to be held on Saturday, May 23 at Plaza Las Americas, with the statue of El Salvador del Mundo, the patron saint of the capital, as a witness.
According to information gathered by Agenzia Fides, there is talk of 250,000 people, at least 12 Heads of State and a security system which has never been seen before in the capital. The various parish communities and Catholic movements are preparing themselves to participate, starting from the pilgrimage to be held on Friday, May 22 at 4pm, starting from the cathedral to the chapel of the Archbishop’s tomb. On Saturday 23 there will be more than 1,100 priests who will gather in the seminary where also Mgr. Romero studied.
The news of the beatification of Mgr. Romero came when the diocesan community was preparing the celebration of the centenary of his birth (15 August 1917) in Ciudad Barrios (San Miguel). Among the suggested activities for the centennial, there is the programming of a series of lectures on the life of the Blessed, to be held in public and private schools. This initiative, says the Archbishop of San Salvador, His Exc. Mgr. José Luis Escobar, aims to pass on the message of love and unity offered by Romero to his people.
The Catholic Church also aims to restore the Y.S.A.X. radio "The Panamerican voice", through which Archbishop Romero broadcast his homilies which reached all people. For this reason, the radio suffered two bomb attacks against its facilities in 1980. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 19/05/2015)
