With modesty and simplicity the last two surviving brothers of the late Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of San Salvador said they strive to represent their brother's strong faith in the Gospels and his conviction in giving a voice to the poor.
"We try to give testimony to our brother's life and live our lives the best we can --- with humility and honesty," said Tiberio Arnoldo Romero, 77, during his first trip to the U.S.
He and his brother Santos Gaspar, 74, spoke with The Tidings in Spanish before the overflowing Mass Aug. 15 at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Canoga Park. The date was a threefold celebration: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, what would have been the 87th birthday of Msgr. Romero, and the annual celebration of Salvadoran Day in Los Angeles.
As honored guests of the Salvadoran Day Festival, the brothers' trip to Los Angeles from El Salvador was sponsored by the Salvadoran American National Association. They were on hand to follow a replica image of El Salvador's "Divino Salvador del Mundo" (Divine Savior of the World) from Our Lady of the Valley Church to L.A.'s Exposition Park.
Arnoldo and his wife of 52 years live in San Miguel and have five grown children, 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He is retired from his work as an independent financial auditor.
Gaspar lives in San Salvador on a small pension, having worked nearly four decades in the communications industry. He and his wife of 50 years enjoy their four grown children and 12 grandchildren.
The brothers said their faith and their lives have been deeply marked by an elder brother who publicly defended the human rights of Salvadoran people being repressed by right-wing military death squads during the 1970s. The archbishop was assassinated March 24, 1980 while celebrating Mass.
But Msgr. Romero's influence on his brothers' lives began much earlier.
Family life
The Romeros were seven children -- six boys and one girl. Msgr. Romero --- 10 and 13 years older than Arnoldo and Gaspar --- had already entered the seminary when they were children, and later studied in Rome.
Arnoldo remembers his brother's seriousness about learning to pray. As a youth, Oscar advised him to recite three Hail Mary's in the morning and three Hail Mary's in the evening in order to have a happy life. His advice proved true, beamed Arnoldo, who said he has long been devoted to the Virgin Mary of Peace and believes that the miracle of peace is possible.
The brothers said that some accounts of Msgr. Romero's life exaggerate or romanticize his early years, for example stating that he came from an extremely poor campesino family.
"We were and are poor with a lot of dignity and with a lot of honor, but we were not destitute," said Gaspar, whose father worked as a telegrapher.
As a youngster, Gaspar worked delivering telegrams, but brother Oscar insisted he keep studying and took him to San Miguel where he could finish elementary school.
Later when Msgr. Romero was named archbishop and Gaspar had received a promotion in his job, he went to visit his brother.
"He said to me, 'No matter how high you get in life, no matter how far, never never forget about your humble origins.' I followed his advice and passed it on to my children," said Gaspar. "You have to have your feet on the floor and remember that this life is temporary."
Msgr. Romero continually promoted the unity of the Romero family through family celebrations of birthdays, Christmas and other holidays, recalled the brothers. He enjoyed opportunities to relax with his siblings and share jokes and funny stories. He celebrated the marriage liturgies of each of his five brothers, his sister having married before he was ordained.
Faith and justice
Then as the country headed towards civil war in the 1970s, the archbishop used the pulpit to speak out against government injustice and growing violence and to defend the human rights of El Salvador's poor.
"There is much necessity for people of faith to attend to those who are marginalized, to be a voice for those who don't have a voice, for those who can't speak," said Gaspar.
While remaining firm in his faith as a Catholic, the brothers added that one of the hallmarks of Msgr. Romero's too-short leadership of the Archdiocese of San Salvador was his unique effort to reach out to leaders of different Christian faiths and promote ecumenical dialogue.
He invited faith leaders of varying Christian denominations to public liturgies at the Cathedral of San Salvador. He wanted religious leaders to unite in urging government authorities and the Salvadoran people to not give up on the path of peace.
Msgr. Romero believed that all the churches "were on a path to God," said Arnoldo. All had a role in promoting peace.
Gaspar acknowledged that, following Msgr. Romero's death, he felt undeserving to promote his brother's legacy. People would ask him to speak and he felt inadequate.
Then one night, in a dream his brother Oscar told Gaspar he was to be "un digno representante" (a worthy representative).
Gaspar said he understood he was to speak "humbly and without exaggeration" when invited to do so. On a few occasions Gaspar has traveled outside El Salvador to the United States and to London.
"It's been an honor to be Oscar's brother, a gift from God. My mission is one I still don't fully understand, but I keep trying to understand," he added. "I am Catholic, by heritage and by conviction. I have felt the presence of God in my life on many occasions, especially during the war."
Parish faithful
Following the 11:15 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Valley Church, the brothers were greeted warmly by well-wishers. Many posed for pictures with the brothers.
"It's something beautiful to meet his brothers, because [Msgr. Romero] was our spiritual leader," said Salvadoran immigrant Mauricio Villalta. He received his first Holy Communion from Msgr. Romero in El Salvador. "From him I learned to stand up for the poor and have faith in the church," he added.
Cristina Aguirre of Mexico said she and her Salvadoran husband had been grieving the recent death of her father-in-law. On seeing the Romero brothers during the Mass her husband became happier, she said. "I feel a lot of joy and peace," said Aguirre.
Concepción Lopez admitted that meeting the brothers caused her to feel some sadness. "There was no reason for Msgr. Romero to die. He was precious, marvelous. We didn't want him to die," she said.
Father Mario Bolaños, a visiting priest from El Salvador, said the image of Divino Salvador del Mundo and the brothers' visit served to unite the church and continue the bonds between the faithful of El Salvador with those of the United States.
"This is a communion of faith and a great joy. It's an encounter with the Salvadoran people to share their joy," said Father Bolaños. "Msgr. Romero was martyred for the cause of Christ and for defending people's human rights. He defended the people and the Gospels." |