Oscar Romero was born in Ciudad Barrios, El Salvador on August 15th 1917, and was one of eight children. He grew up in very poor conditions, and was even without a bed of his own. He was an apprentice to a capenter, but instead of pursuing carpentry, he entered the seminary. He had only received three years of public schooling, and four years of private tutoring. Oscar had become a priest in 1942, and it was after his ordination that Oscar's faith began to be recognized. Romero was called back to El Salvador in 1944 because there was a shortage of priests, and soon after he had arrived, he acquired the roles as secretary of the diocese, pastor of the cathedral parish, and chaplain of the church of San Francisco. In December of 1974, he was appointed Bishop of Santiago de Maria.
Shortly after Romero had been promoted to archbishop in February of 1977, a close friend of his, Rutilio Grande, was murdered, increasing Romero's suspicion of the death squads that had been the rumored assassins for the government. This caused a metanoia in Romero. He changed from an ordinary priest into a prophet. He began to speak the truth. Archbishop Romero requested that the then leader, Arturo Molina, investigate the death of Grande. Oscar’s request was ignored, which enraged him. Oscar’s legacy as a friend to the poor and the people in need really showed when he began to speak out against the current status of the country. He spoke out against the torture and assassinations that were going on in the country, and he spoke out against the government. He was a big advocate in eliminating the poverty in his country. As he spoke against the government more, the more he became the church’s spokesman for liberation theology.
Oscar Romero had faith to the highest degree. He had faith that Romero consistently preached to the people that good will eventually come from all of this evil in their environment, and they will not suffer and die in vain. Romero even spoke directly to rank-and-file soldiers and policemen, saying, "I command you in the name of God: stop the repression!"
Eventually, the revolutionaries assumed power with the help of the American government who supplied them with weapons. Oscar disapproved this and sent a letter to Jimmy Carter about it, but he did not change the situation.
Then on March 24, 1980 while celebrating mass, an assassin killed him. When he was murdered Oscar was speaking about the assassins, and the injustices done to the people. His last words were, “May God have mercy on the assassins.” Oscar was 62 years old, and had made a huge impact on the people of El Salvador.
Chacon, Carmen. "Story of Oscar Romero." online. http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/nhl/nhl-history.htm
Kikuchi, D.. "On the Words of Oscar Romero" online. http://www.fprespa.org/romero.html
Latin American/North American Church Concerns of the Kellog Institute at the University of Notre Dame. "Archbishop Oscar Romero" online.http://kellogg.nd.edu/romero/Biography.htm