A group of students, professors and faculty gathered in Geddes Hall Saturday morning for a lecture reflecting on the life and martyrdom of the Servus Dei, Archbishop Oscar Romero. Fr. Daniel Groody, CSC, presented “Remember Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador,” as the first of the “Saturdays with the Saints” series, offered by the Institute for Church Life (ICL).
Fr. Groody, Associate Professor of Theology at Notre Dame, directs the University’s Center for Latino Spirituality and Culture. An expert on the theology of immigration, Groody was introduced by Professor John Cavadini, Director of the ICL, as a theologian whose work is characterized by a deep personal understanding of the Eucharist. This introductory comment emphasized a central theme in Groody’s discussion of the saintly life of the Salvadoran archbishop.
Fr. Groody introduced the topic in the context of the entire lecture series, posing the question of what it means to be a saint. Emphasizing the idea that to be a saint is to bear witness to Christ himself, Groody explained how the life of the Salvadoran archbishop illustrated several aspects that characterize universal sainthood. The goal of examining this for members of the Church, he stated, is ultimately so that we understand sainthood well enough to apply its examples to our own lives.
The defining characteristic of Romero’s sainthood, Groody stated, was “Romero’s connectedness to Christ himself.” It was precisely this spiritual intimacy with Christ that guided Romero and allowed for his ongoing transformation, which enabled and nourished his sacrificial love for the poor.
Highlighting significant moments of Romero’s life, Groody showed how the archbishop’s spirituality inspired his decision to advocate for the poor and speak out against the violence and repression that were destroying the lives of many Salvadorans at the beginning of El Salvador’s civil war. Groody presented a scene from the movie Romero in which the Salvadoran priest was chosen as archbishop.
Upon hearing the news that he has been chosen to be the next archbishop, Romero asks a fellow priest what action he should take. The latter advises Romero to do “what God wants,” though Romero remains uncertain of how to do so. This exchange, Groody noted, was an example of how Romero kept the pursuit of God’s will, rather than his own inclinations, at the forefront of his ministry.
Romero’s life and ministry as archbishop illustrated not only his connectedness to God, but also how his personal intimacy shaped his transformation and configuration to Christ. Groody pointed out that it was Romero’s spiritual intimacy with Christ that cultivated his fervent love for God and for God’s suffering people. The result of this love, Groody said, was a desire to be connected to Christ.
As Romero encountered the poor and suffering—the Salvadoran peasants who were the victims of massive violence and inequity—he encountered Christ himself and became more deeply connected to him. It is this same process that lead him beyond transformation in his discipleship and to martyrdom.
At the end of Romero’s life, Groody suggested that the fullness of Romero’s connectedness to Christ was realized. Through his transformation, Romero had increased in his intimacy with Christ and was continually encountering Christ crucified in the form of the poor Salvadoran people who were being unjustly persecuted. They were the crucified people among whom Romero found Christ. Romero said, “the church that is not concerned with the poor is not the true church of God.” Groody explained that this statement reflects the parallel between Romero’s connectedness to Christ and his outspokenness on behalf of the ‘crucified people.’
Groody explained that it was through Romero’s encounter with Christ in the crucified people that his faith increased in the God of life. It was this faith nurtured by the presence of God that enabled Romero to eventually surrender everything as a true disciple of Christ is called to do. Groody emphasized that Romero’s moment of final surrender, as he was shot while offering the Eucharist during Holy Mass, was like Christ’s. It was dependent on total trust in God and gave Romero the strength to answer God’s final call: to testify to the truth as Christ did.
Romero denounced the powerful leaders of his country’s oppression in an unprecedented manner. By doing so, Groody said, Romero surrendered everything, took up his cross and followed Christ to his own crucifixion. This act of faith, Groody stressed, was possible because of his connectedness to Christ. Using the example of the Eucharist, he showed that Romero’s life was configured to Christ’s to the point of offering his life—his own body and blood—just as Christ himself did for the salvation of a people. Indeed, Groody said, it is no surprise that the Salvadoran people say he was resurrected in his people.
Annie DeMott is a senior theology major. Last year she studied abroad in El Salvador with La Casa de Solidaridad and is always eager to share about her experience there. Contact her at ademott@nd.edu to hear about it.
