The COAR (Community of Oscar Arnulfo Romero) Peace Mission and the Diocese of Cleveland Mission Office celebrated the martyrdom and legacy of St. Oscar Romero during a prayer service on March 21 to mark the 44th anniversary of his death on March 24, 1980. Blessed Trinity Parish in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood hosted the event.
Father Steve Vellenga, director of the diocesan Mission Office and pastor of St. Mary Parish in Painesville, presided at the service. He also is a former member of the Cleveland Latin American Mission in El Salvador, often referred to as CLAM. The mission was established in 1964.
Melanie Reda, president of the board of directors, COAR Peace Mission, welcomed the attendees to the service, which offered a time of prayer and reflection as well as information about St. Oscar Romero, who was the archbishop of El Salvador.
St. Romero was born on Aug. 15, 1917 in San Miguel, El Salvador. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 4, 1942 in Rome. His episcopal ordination was June 21, 1970 and he was installed as archbishop of El Salvador on Feb. 22, 1977.
He was recalled for his “unshakable faith in the Lord, his hope of seeing in El Salvador the Christian reality of a new heaven and a new earth and a charity not simply announced, but embodied in the fate of the poor, with the people of El Salvador, from them and for the good of all.”
St. Romero was shot and killed while celebrating Mass on March 24, 1980. After his canonization by Pope Francis in 2018, his feast day is celebrated on March 24. The annual prayer service takes place on or near his feast day.
Father Doug Koesel, Blessed Trinity pastor, offered some reflections on St. Romero and his legacy, recalling that he would shut down the churches in El Salvador and only allow one Mass to be offered whenever a priest was murdered during the country’s turbulent civil war (1979-1992). That happened a dozen times, Father Koesel said.
“Whenever Archbishop Romero would process down the aisle, he would be stormed by people who wanted to be near him. They knew there was a saint in their midst,” he said.
Deacon Mark Janezic of St. Rita Parish in Solon read portions of St. Romero’s writings that were accompanied by music. The service also included adornment of the altar by Chris Janezic, a COAR Peace Mission board member; in memoriam read by Laura Griesmer, also a COAR Peace Mission board member; presentation of a basket of prayer intentions by Jenni Maravola of the COAR Peace Mission; a reading by Cindy Drennan, former CLAM team member; intercessions presented by Mary Stevenson, COAR Peace Mission executive director; a short video titled “Beginnings” from the children at the COAR Children’s Village in Zaragoza, El Salvador and recitation of Oscar Romero’s Prayer, written by Bishop Ken Untener, who was bishop of Saginaw, Michigan from 1980 to his death in 2004.
Father Vellenga also offered a blessing of groups, individuals and organizations in El Salvador.
A reception and fellowship followed the prayer service.