The beatification of Archbishop Romero will take place on Saturday 23 May, the eve of Pentecost, in San Salvador at a ceremony in the ‘Salvador del Mundo’ Plaza presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, who heads the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. Bishop John Rawsthorne will represent the Bishops’ Conference in San Salvador.

It is hoped that all of us in diocesan Justice and Peace groups will promote celebrations of thanksgiving in the following weeks. Oscar Romero has for ages been our J&P ‘patron-saint-in-waiting’  and we should ensure that the thanksgiving really is a celebration of a martyr killed in hatred of the faith, a martyr to an authentic option for the poor, a martyr for a faith that does justice, a martyr to the social teaching of Vatican II and the magisterium of the Church.

The Romero Trust, in conjunction with St George’s Cathedral Southwark, is organising a national Thanksgiving Mass on Saturday August 15th at 12.30pm. It is hoped Cardinal Cormac will preside and Bishop John Rawsthorne preach. The Mass will be followed by a  reception event in the Amigo Hall. It is an especially appropriate date as it is Archbishop Romero’s 98th birthday and St George’s has his relic inside the Romero Cross erected there in 2013. All are welcome at this event.

The Trust will be happy to publicise any Romero events organised to celebrate the beatification. www.romerotrust.org.uk                                                                              Julian Filochowski