As the 25th anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador approaches, local parishes will commemorate the memory of a priest who spoke out for the poor, denounced violence and proclaimed the Gospel message of peace and solidarity.

Our Lady Queen of the Angels Church (La Placita) in Los Angeles will host a 5:30 p.m. Mass March 18 during which Salvadoran parishioners will share memories of the archbishop. The reflections during the evening's Stations of the Cross will be based on Archbishop Romero's own words.

La Placita has had a long involvement with the Salvadoran community, including the controversial practice of providing sanctuary to refugees seeking asylum and fleeing El Salvador during the 1980s civil war.

"I want to be a good pastor like he was and be attentive to signs of the times and preach God's word in conflictual situations," said Claretian Father Steve Niskanen, who has a picture of Archbishop Romero hanging on his wall. "As Msgr. Romero denounced injustice and announced the Gospel we feel called to do the same in our time and not be timid as is the temptation."

Father Niskanen said the parish reaches out to homeless and undocumented immigrants and tries to encourage a broader conversation in society about globalization and the root causes of illegal immigration. As a middle-class North American, the pastor said he went through a period of growing awareness of the reality of marginalized groups of people and the demands of faith to offer pastoral care.

"Msgr. Oscar Romero calls us to recognize that the dignity of the human person is foremost," he said.

Archbishop Oscar Romero was killed March 24, 1980 while celebrating Mass. The day before he gave a stirring homily broadcast throughout the country in which he implored soldiers not to obey orders to kill civilians.

Clínica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero, a community health care center, will hold a community-wide commemoration March 24 (4 p.m.) in the auditorium of St. Anne's Maternity Home in Los Angeles. The program will include testimonials from Salvadorans helped by the archbishop, film clips about his life, folkloric dancing and light refreshments. St. Anne's is located at 155 N. Occidental Blvd.

At Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights students have been learning about the archbishop's life in their religion classes and on March 11 participated in a commemorative Mass. Third graders performed a play which depicted Archbishop Romero's own faith conversion from distance towards the poor to engagement and commitment. They reflected on some of the justice issues in their own community, like the low wages of their immigrant parents.

Students and parishioners have written prayers to Archbishop Romero which will be delivered to his tomb in San Salvador by a parish delegation traveling to the country at the end of March. The delegates will participate in a theological symposium on the legacy of Archbishop Romero and will make a monetary gift to an organization assisting those maimed by El Salvador's 12-year civil war.

A Mass March 24 at 7 p.m. in memory of Archbishop Romero will be celebrated by San Gabriel Region Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala and will include a blessing and sending forth of the parish delegation.

"During the last 20 years of working with refugees and the immigrant community, Msgr. Oscar Romero is the person who's most inspired me in this work," said Jesuit Father Michael Kennedy. The pastor did not know the archbishop personally but has read his writings extensively and lived in El Salvador for several years. Father Kennedy said the archbishop was frequently misunderstood and criticized by his fellow bishops and brother priests for his "spirituality of accompaniment."

"We move in church when we speak the truth and walk among the people. We walk with people when we share their sufferings and sorrows," said Father Kennedy. "This also means naming concretely the evils that kill and that take away dignity. You can't be prophetic if you speak in platitudes."

In his homilies Archbishop Romero named and denounced right-wing government agents responsible for Salvadoran death squads and reproached the violent tactics of left-wing guerillas. He also pleaded with then-President Jimmy Carter to withdraw military support to El Salvador.

"He was a model of how to be pastor, priest and prophet," said Father Kennedy.