An Invitation to Celebrate the Unifying Love of Archbishop Óscar Romero

“When we struggle for human rights, for freedom, for dignity, when we feel that it is a ministry of the church to concern itself for those who are hungry, for those who have no schools, for those who are deprived, we are not departing from God’s promise.” 

― Óscar A. Romero,
from The Violence of Love

The annual commemoration of Archbishop Óscar Romero at Aquinas Newman Center in Albuquerque will address four issues, each addressed at a "station," in a format similar to the Good Friday Stations of the Cross. 

One of the stations will examine agriculture, food and justice, and hunger.  The station will first examine an aspect of  food insecurity in North America, and then look at issues of hunger in El Salvador.  There are similarities and also differences in the way hunger affects people here and in El Salvador.  In the Central American country, hunger can take a very rural face.  Land ownership,\ the right to grow food, and economic inequalities are very important in addressing hunger.

Darkness into Light: The Unifying Love of Óscar Romero
Monday, April 22
Aquinas Newman Center 
1815 Las Lomas Rd. NE  Albuquerque
7:00 p.m.

The  Romero commemoration will also address three other topics in a similar fashion, looking first at the North American perspective, followed by the Salvadoran point of view (always drawing connections on how the two interrelate). Those topics are Climate Change, Education, and the Harvest of Empire.(emigration/immigration). 

As is always the case, the Romero event is a faith-based celebration, and music will accompany each station.  This year there will be songs from the Taizé community. 

Four visitors from El Salvador will be taking part in the service Gil Pintin, Executive Director of the Asociación para la Promoción de los Derechos Humanos de la Niñez  (APRODHENI); Nuria Monaco, the organization's Director of Family Support/Scholarship Program; Claudia Mendoza, university scholarship student; and Yanira Coto Cruz, high school scholarship student.

So if you live in the Albuquerque area, you are cordially invited to participate in this commemoration celebrating the unifying love of Archbishop Óscar Romero.