Angelenos joined in celebrating the life of a person who spoke for the voiceless, said Edgardo Guardado, coordinator of the Monseñor Romero committee at St. Thomas the Apostle Church.
The church hosted a live broadcast of the May 23 beatification of Blessed Oscar Romero. The majority of the 500 Catholics in attendance had heard the late archbishop’s homilies and radio exhortations that chastised the Salvadoran military and government for civil rights violations in their home country of El Salvador.
“The reason why we are celebrating the beatification of Monse√±or Romero is to remember and live out his message and help the next generation come to know him,” Guardado said. “The spirit of Monse√±or Romero will remain among us if remember his message.”
Salvadorans should feel proud of the beatification and try to imitate Archbishop Romero, especially his passion and devotion toward others, he said.
“The Salvadoran community — Catholics and non-Catholics alike — recognize in the person of Monse√±or Romero a father, a defender and a person who brought light to the darkness,” said Father Gerardo Galaviz, associate pastor of St. Thomas, after revealing a commemorative plaque on the corner of Vermont and Pico in the Salvadoran neighborhood.
