SHARE Committees celebrate 25 Years of Romero in the US
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The presence of Romero in people everywhere today is evident in the numerous commemorative services and events around the country and the globe. The following short pieces give a flavor of the fruits from tireless efforts by SHARE committees and SHARE Promoters working with coalitions in their communities to resurrect Romero 25 years later. Click on the following cities below to read about events in your region or just read on to learn about all the events.
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Baltimore and Annapolis Celebrate Romero’s Legacy
By Susan Saudek-SHARE Board Member
There is no doubt Romero’s spirit passed through Baltimore and Annapolis on March 24th 2005. In fact it felt such energy and joy it decided to stay for ten days.
Our planning for the events started modestly last October. Four SHARE sister parishes, Brown Memorial, Maryland and Govans Presbyterian and St. Andrew’s by the Bay put out an invitation to the larger faith community and to the Salvadoran community to join us in our planning. Our hope was to celebrate the legacy of Monseñor Romero, educate our community, identify the social justice issues Romero’s legacy calls us to work on in our world today and widen our circle of local activists.
We are overwhelmed with how many ways Romero’s spirit came to life in Baltimore.
The richest outcome was the size and commitment of the working committee. It grew to a consistent 20 people who did not know each other before but now feel the strength of connection.
As a group we dreamt BIG and every event grew on the back of the previous one.
We started by showing the film Romero. We wanted to touch hearts….and we did. The discussion following the film ranged from Iraq to CAFTA. Our second event, a week later, was an hour’s interview on our local NPR station. Margie Swedish and Edgar Palacios our speakers at the evening Loyola College event were guests on Marc Steiner’s radio show. The focus was on the history and the importance of Romero. The passion was palpable. The audience call-in questions were probing. In fact Marc said he wished they had planned another hour for the show. At Loyola College we had an audience of 300 people who came to hear “Romero: Truth in an Age of Fear.” Again we had to cut off the question and answer period.
The emotional highlights of the ten days were the two masses held in Baltimore and Annapolis. Both events started with a celebratory street procession carrying banners, singing songs and stopping for reflections on Romero’s words. All together about 700 people attended. The masses were celebrated ecumenically with Presbyterian ministers and Catholic priests. Father Jesus Canfranc from San Francisco de Asis, Mejicanos, Padre Hilario from Cabanas serving the Baltimore Salvadoran community and, Father John Lavin, the Annapolis Hispanic community minister presided.
Our goals were more than met and our new extended network is ready for action. Romero’s legacy is most definitely alive here!
Romero Week in Seattle
By Phelia Lorenzen- SHARE Promoter
During the week of April 3-10, 2005, Seattle celebrated Archbishop Oscar Romero Commemoration Week with eight different events, sponsored by churches, congregations, schools, and activist organizations. The week was officially proclaimed a special week by both Seattle mayor, Greg Nickels and the King County executive, Rom Sims. Events included: a celebration of sistering relationships with communities in El Salvador with personal testimonies, a discussion group on immigration issues, three "movie nights" showing films on Romero and the four religious women followed with discussion, a cultural evening of readings, music and testimonies, and a workshop on CAFTA.
The week culminated with a procession of walkers carrying crosses bearing the names of victims of the SOA, banners of peace, and the Salvadoran flag that led to a large church in Seattle for a beautiful ecumenical service filled with music, dance, readings from Romero's homilies, and featured speaker, Jose Artiga, Executive Director of the SHARE Foundation.
The Romero Committee of Seattle, made up of nine dedicated persons, determined the week to be a great success. Romero is alive in the hearts of Seattle folks, many more people understand CAFTA, violence and repression of human rights will continue to be a theme of social justice organizers, and the legacy of Romero lives on….
Remembering Archbishop Romero in Milwaukee
by Lisa Zeilinger, SHARE Regional Promoter
On March 21, 2005, Milwaukee area sister communities and friends shared an event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Oscar Romero. Monsenor Romero’s presence was evident in the more than 300 people who attended.
The Prayer Service took place at St. Sebastian Church, one of the sister parishes in our area. We were honored to have the participation of Archbishop Timothy Dolan who led the service, along with Lutheran Bishop Paul Stumme-Diers and Fr. Chuck Schramm, pastor of St. Sebastian church. Mayor Tom Barrett also attended and presented a proclamation declaring March 24, 2005 a citywide day of recognition in honor of Monsenor Romero. Fr. Chuck also took part in a reading of selections from “A Prophet’s Journey”, along with Lutheran pastors Walter and Elizabeth Baires, Maria Roman, and Rev. Rick Abert. Their performance was very touching! St. Sebastian Choir provided wonderful music and was led by Mike Kamenski, St. Sebastian Liturgist, who also offered much help in planning the service. The Archdiocese provided beautiful Prayer Cards to be handed out.
The event came out of months of planning by a committee of people representing the sister parishes in our area. Our team consisted of Ann Gehred of St. Sebastian, Joyce Ellwanger of The Lutheran Synod and Jim O’Brien of Good Shepherd, Menomonee Falls, Jesuit Father Rick Abert, and myself representing SHARE.
Many people also worked to promote the event, help at the service, and coordinate the gathering that took place afterwards. Special thanks goes to them all! We were so pleased by the number of people who attended and who still feel the spiritual presence of Oscar Romero in their hearts and lives. It was a very special evening that seemed to hold meaning for so many.
Monsenor Romero, Presente!
The Detroit Sister Community Committee also held a commemorative event on March 20th at St. John Fisher Church. Bishop Tom Gumbleton and Damian Zynda spoke about Romero and Sue Sattler presented on the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The evening also included music, crafts and dessert.
Kansas City also held the second event in a series of events scheduled to commemorate Romero and the four church women during the year. Alex Pope, from St Regis Parish and Peg Ekerdt, from Visitation Church, had just returned from participating in the 25th anniversary events in El Salvador and they shared reflections from their trip at an April 8th Romero Mass. Their message was well received by 250 people.
San Francisco
On March 19th, 100 people met for a procession which began at San Pedro Parish. The group first met to sing prayerful songs to Monseñor Romero. Then everyone processed to the Presbyterian Church in the Mission neighborhood. People continued singing songs dedicated to Monseñor Romero as they processed.
When the group arrived, around 100 others were waiting with songs and posters for Romero. They celebrated with an ecumenical service led by Reverend Mauricio Chacon, the Presbyterian pastor. The services included a PowerPoint with many pictures, and excerpts from Romero’s reflections and homilies. In the end, the pastor blessed the twenty delegates embarking on the SHARE delegation to El Salvador. Following the service, everyone stayed for a dinner and a concert to benefit Manos Unidas Community Center.
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