Havant Pastoral Area Romero Pilgrimage 100 years after the birth of Archbishop Oscar Romero We gather as pilgrims to travel together

Transcription

1 Havant Pastoral Area Romero Pilgrimage 100 years after the birth of Archbishop Oscar Romero We gather as pilgrims to travel together let us not forget: we are a pilgrim church, subject to misunderstanding, to persecution, but a church that walks serene, because it bears the force of love. Oscar A. Romero, The Violence of Love From Havant Parish, we will be walking this pilgrimage to St John s Cathedral on the 9 th September and you are welcome to join us. If you cannot join us but would like to do something to mark this centenary please feel free to use these prayers reading and actions and adapt as you wish jpsr@potsmouthdiocese.org.uk By reflecting on The Archbishop s story, we will focus on our own faith journeys as people of the Beatitudes Gospel of Matthew 5:3-10 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Reflection are from Prayer In memory of Oscar Romero ( ) called A Future Not Our Own A prayer was composed by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw, Memories are from book Monseñor Romero: Memories in Mosaic by Maria Lopez Vigil Information from Romero Trust Actions to support CAFOD partners with those working with the poorest people in the world and in the 1970 s partnered with Archbishop Romero and supported the radio station a vital form of communication

2 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Memory of Carmon Chacon The bishop is coming! Mama said Oscar, who was still a little boy Will you buy me a new shirt and a pair of pants so I can see him? Nina Guadalupe de Jesus got him the new clothes ready so her son would be neat and presentable and the boy went about here there and everywhereaccompanying the bishop on all his rounds. The bishop was quite impressed with him. The bishop is leaving Oscar come over here! The bishop called to him in front of everybody in the town Yes Monseñor? Tell me boy, what do you want to be when you grow up? Well I I would like to be a priest! The bishop raised his hefty finger and pointed it straight at Oscar s forehead. You, my boy, are going to be a bishop! After marking Oscar s destiny, he went back to his mansion in San Miguel and Ciudad Barrios went back to being a sleepy little campesinos town. Fifty years later, Monseñor Romero put his hand to the place on his forehead and told me I can still feel the touch of his finger right here Oscar Arnulfo Romero was born into a family of ten on 15th August in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador. His father was in charge of the local telegraph office. Sometimes the young Romero helped his father to deliver telegrams. Oscar learned to be a carpenter, making tables, chairs and doors For vocations to the priesthood and religious life that people from our own community s will respond to the call to be shepherds and leaders as we walk through life s journey. We pray for the success of CAFOD s Power to be campaign supporting renewable energy to tackle poverty and give children the chance of education to fulfil their God given potential. A FUTURE NOT OUR OWN It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. Support CAFOD s campaign asking the world bank to provide small local solutions of solar power to help young people with the power to see to study

3 Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Memory of Antonia Novoa on death of Romero s mother She died and was buried here in San Miguel. (Father Romero s parish) And since Father Romero had a relationship with the people of San Miguel s upper class- from the Garcia Prieto s on down- people from the aristocracy went to the funeral. Coffee plantation owners showed up, even a famous pianist from there. But since he also had friends like us who loved him, we went too. Nuns went, children went. His whole family also arrived in San Miguel on that sad occasion, we saw what they were like -people of humble bearing. On the way to the cemetery after the funeral Mass, who do you think he walked with? He didn t go with the upper crust, he walked alongside the ones in simple dress, in country clothes-us! I was born with them. I ll go with them he said quietly. And that was what the whole way was like him alongside the casket and alongside the crowds of people When he was 14 years old, Oscar wanted to be a priest so he went to study at junior seminary. When his mother was ill and they needed money for medicine, Oscar left the seminary for three months and worked in the gold mine in Potosí. He earned about 4p a day. He continued his studies in Rome and was there at the start of the war. for the fortitude to offer up our lamentations and mourning and the strength to walk with each other in times of grief We pray for the many people across the world mourning members of their family because of war and famine that they may find comfort in the future beyond our vision. For reflection. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise Nothing is complete which is another way of saying the kingdom is beyond us Light a candle at the Cathedral and give a donation to charity in remembrance Romero reminds us that there is no death without resurrection

4 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Roglelio Pedraz recalls But I am leaving the country tomorrow! I ve got my ticket already Don t be a stubborn man you can go after the meeting I went solely out of a sense of obligation. I didn t know Romero from Adam. Cesar introduced me, and told him that I had experience, that I knew a lot about radio Monseñor looked at me and said exactly these words: I m asking you to help me save the radio station. And if I have to I ll get on my knees. No one had ever gotten on their knees to ask me anything. Much less a bishop! But the tone of his voice made me feel like he might just kneel down right there in front of me! It really threw me a loop. It moved me. Bring on the radio, Monseñor I told him I didn t even remember to cancel my plane reservation No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. This story leaps forward to when Romero was Archbishop. When the country was full of censorship and struggle the radio became one of the most powerful instruments of communication. Every Sunday Romero preached and named all the dead and the missing. These sermons were aired on the radio and people throughout the country. On our journey to the kingdom help us recognise the part we have as messengers of God and not let pride hinder us when we need help Help us to value and share all God s creation from the smallest insect to the wonders of the stars. To tread lightly on the earth Blessed Oscar Romero Action for Future Thinking about the earth we would like the next generation to inherit act to consume less, reuse and recycle more

5 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness sake for they shall be filled Resident of El Tornador For many years, all Aguilares had been organising and growing in awareness by listening to their parish priest, Father Rutilio. This is how Father Grande talked to them Some people cross themselves in the name of the father (money) and the son (coffee) and the spirit (especially if its cane liquor!) that is not the God who is the Father of our Brother and Lord, Jesus, who gives us the good Spirit so that we can all be brothers in equality, so that we, the faithful followers of Jesus can work to make His Kingdom Present here among us. Don t be like fireworks- all noise and hullabaloo towards the heavens way up there! We have to fix this mess here on earth. Here on earth! God isn t in the clouds lying in a hammock. He cares about the way things are going so badly for the poor down here. I ve told you many times that we have not come with the sword- or the machete. Our work is not that. Our violence is in the Word of God. The Word that forces us to change ourselves so that we can make this world a better place, the Word that charges us with the enormous task of changing the world. 'If they have killed him for doing what he did, then I too have to walk the same path.' " That is what we are about. We plant a seed that will one-day grow. We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. Father Grande was murdered in 1977 by the Salvadoran military Grande s murder also deeply affected his friend the new Archbishop. This was his first crisis. Thought to be a safe conservative and timid man he started to see a different path. His first act as Archbishop was to organise a one Mass Sunday for the whole country where he preached Let us enlighten our doctrine, our actions as good Samaritans for a change of Hearts and Minds Help us live the Word, to be open to changing ourselves to make the world a better place We pray for all Christians suffering persecution for their faith. That they are comforted by their beliefs and empowered by the gifts of the Holy spirit. Write a letter of support to a persecuted Christian. These letters offer great hope in moments of doubt

6 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy The Funeral of Father Neto Astor Ruiz He was advised not to go as Father Neto had died in combat accused of being with rebels giving the government proof of guerrilla priests. He called together eight sad and frightened priests, called because we were close to Neto. We were birds of a feather, priests with the same ideas. Monseñor spoke In order to make the decision I need to make, I m just asking myself one question right now, just one We, who had arrived trembling, were even more frightened now. What would he ask us? If Neto had or hadn t joined the guerrillas? If he carried a weapon or not? If we What I m asking myself is this. What must Doña Mariita, Neto s mother be thinking now? Would it matter to her if Neto was carrying a weapon or not? If he was a guerrilla or not? Would she care? Neto was her son, and she is his mother, and so Doña Mariita is there by his side now. The church is also Neto s mother and as bishop I am his Father. I should be by his side as well. We looked at him. He looked at each of us one by one. You have to be at his side too. We re going to say goodbye to him with a Mass, like the priest that he is, and we re going to bury him in a church in the parish of Mejicanos. Come! Let s go get thing ready Oscar Romero was by nature a fastidious and timid man. He worked hard and liked things to be in order. Initially when he had become Archbishop the government were pleased thinking he would be easily managed. However, following the death of Fr Grande and through prayer he acted courageously not as a revolutionary or communist by in love and mercy. That our actions will be those of mercy and not judgement. And that in times of difficultly and when we have acted badly we will see the loving path of the Lord and receive mercy. We pray for those who have taken paths to evil and destruction that through the example of love and mercy they may find redemption We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well Consider training to be a prison hospital or community visitor volunteer for local Caritas project

7 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Truth: Armando Contreras remembers He didn t beat around the bush, and he didn t mince words. He was always right on the mark with what he had to say- his advice to journalists At the very least you should always say something from both sides so that the Salvadoran people can be well informed about what s going on. I m asking you to tell the truth he said another time although I understand why you might not at times, who s going to serve the truth for free, when lies are so well paid? He would say things like that that would just cut to the quick and eat at my conscience. Monseñor? He was the highest source of information that this country had during those years, and if there s any title that fits him perfectly, its the journalist of the poor There was a history of inequality in El Salvador very few, perhaps 14 families, owned all the land leaving millions of campesinos struggling to provide food and shelter for themselves and their families. Their struggle to gain some basic rights was seen as a great threat to the rich, the stability of the country and there was great fear of communist uprisings. Romero spoke for peace but not at the cost of Gospel truth. That we will be people of good conscience and act in ways that put others needs equal to our own. We pray that those in power act for human dignity and to the benefit of the whole community. When the task seems, overwhelming let s take a step back and allow the Lord s grace to enter. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest Action for the future Look out for ways to reach out to people who are vulnerable, through disability ill health or displacement. Sometimes the purity of heart of others is a blessing for us

8 Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called children of God Memory of Miguel Tomas Castro- We decided to pay him an official visit He was surprised that Protestants would be coming to see him. Maybe it was the first time.. Representing our little church. Emmanuel Baptist church. We explained to him how much we admired his work... When we were about to leave, Heriberto Perez asked if we could end our gathering with a prayer. Heriberto was the pastor who had founded the Emmanuel church. He was the eldest among us and had been brought up in that virulent anti-catholicism that you sometimes see. Heriberto prayed. I thank the Lord that we have met this man of God Miguel continues to explain that some of the Baptists were suspicious of this friendship with the powers of darkness Don t call me Monseñor anymore just call me brother. And I won t call you separated brothers anymore either. It s a deal And from that day on he called us the brothers from Emmanuel and we called him brother Romero Romero had many friends among wealth families but once he began to speak out for against corruption and injustice then turned against him. Publishing newspaper condemnations and ridiculing him publicly. Romero also spoke out when protestors got violent. But he listened to all sides and was guided by pray always before acting. Peace comes through right judgment help us to be vocal peacemakers standing up against bullying and repression for fairness and opportunity for everyone s growth. We pray for the work of Christian unity and the unity of all humankind. For advocate, mediators, community builders and those working towards reconciliation Pray with Us. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers not master builders, ministers not messiahs. Think of ways we can act together as Christians to bring people together in friendship, particularly excluded people.

9 Blessed are those persecuted for doing right for the kingdom of God is there s Fabio Argueta remembers I went to see Monseñor Romero after having been arrested and tortured. The crime they re accusing me of I told Monseñor is that of preaching the Gospel. Then I told him that ever since I d participated in the courses at El Castiano Centre a few years earlier. I d come to believe what we d been taught there: that the injustices we suffer as poor people were an offense to God, a sin that had to be done away with. From that idea alone, we received strength, Monseñor. And you know the saying if the horse already flies, it doesn t need spurs. What s happening now is that they re trying to rein us in by torturing us. People who torture their fellow human beings are agents of the devil Monseñor was both sad and serious as he told this to me. And from there, he started to tell me the history of the Church, chapter by chapter. He spoke to me about this path called the option for the poor and how choosing this path had brought us so much persecution. I remember very well a sentence he kept repeating Putting ourselves on the side of the poor is going to mean a lot of bloodshed for us. All this blood is a sign of the times How long will it last Monseñor? We don t know. We have to look up to the heavens and know how to read the signs. Right now, we have this; in El Salvador the sky has turned red. We don t know how long it will last It was known in his last days that Romero s life was in danger but he said he had to continue to preach the Gospel. He wrote to President Carter asking him to stop sending arms and he asked the El Salvadoran army to stop killing the el Salvadoran people their own brothers and sisters. He was killed while saying Mass in Ten years of civil war followed. That through this day of prayer we will be renewed in our understanding of the Gospel message and do right as God s microphones We pray for all those that suffer and are oppressed unable to find their daily bread may they be provided for and Christ s peace rest upon them. Our Father... Final word from Romero Each one of you has to be God s microphone. Each one of you has to be a messenger, a prophet. The church will always exist as long as there is someone who has been baptized Where is your baptism? You are baptized in your professions, in the fields of workers, in the market. Wherever there is someone who has been baptized, that is where the church is. There is a prophet there. Let us not hide the talent that God gave us on the day of our baptism and let us truly live the beauty and responsibility of being a prophetic people. We are prophets of a future not our own. Complete an action cards how do you think we as individuals and as a community can become people of the beatitudes. What are you called too? How will you follow the path of the option for the poor?

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