Rev. Chava’s Reflection on Blessed Oscar Romero’s Death Anniversary 3/24/14

Indeed Blessed Mon. Oscar Romero has risen in the people of El Salvador and all,like Rev. Chava, who seek justice and love God’s holy and oppressed people.

On this 34th anniversary of the martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero, you might be interested in the music video produced by The MartyrsProject.com to honor his legacy. You may view the video at http://youtu.be/21CN815v2G0. Feel free to post, embed or review the video. For more information go to TheMartyrsProject.com. I urge you to view this moving video and hear the moving song “Let My Blood Be A Seed of Freedom”.

And now, This is Rev. Chava’s beautiful reflection:

Oscar Romero Inclusive Catholic Church
Bulletin for Sunday, March 23, 2014
3rd Sunday in Lent
Dear friends,

The first time I was ever in the San Salvador airport, I was scared. A
group of us were going to El Salvador as part of a Divinity School class,
and for months we had been learning about the terrible history of the civil
war there in the 70’s and 80’s. Walking through the airport, I couldn’t
help but think of Jean Donovan, Dorothy Kazel, Maura Clark and Ita Ford,
who were met at the airport by a death squad in 1980, driven out to the
country and killed. Even though it had been 25 years, the memory was fresh
and just being in that airport felt scary.

And hot. Whew, the heat hits you when you get off that plane and walk
through customs. Especially in December, when you left your winter coat
behind just six hours before, and suddenly there’s a kind of heat we just
don’t get in Rochester, New York, thousands of miles to the north.

The second time I was there, I was on my own. That was scary, too! It would
be several visits before I realized that this country, that the State
Department warned was dangerous to visit, and the doctor warned was
dangerous to my health because of malaria and dengue fever, this country
with all its frightening history was to my friends who lived there, simply,
home.

On my third visit I was met at the airport by friends. When you walk out
the door of the airport there is an empty space roped off, and behind it
are hundreds of people waiting to meet people getting off the planes. As I
scanned the crowd, I saw my friend Moisés, jumping up and down and waving,
way at the back of the crowd. A whole carful of people had come to meet me!
And this once-scary country had become for me, a place where my friends
lived.

El Salvador has itself been going through a transition, with different
people in charge. This week their Congress voted to rename the airport. It
will now be known as the Monseñor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International
Airport of El Salvador.

Monseñor Romero is also said to be in the final phase of the process of
canonization. Ever since we started calling our little church by its
nickname of Saint Romero’s, I’ve said that he’s a saint the way I’m a
priest: the reality is there, whether the Vatican recognizes it, or not!
But it looks like the Vatican might recognize him, after all!

All these things are signs of life and hope. It’s like spring. A crocus
comes up, we get another blizzard. The sun comes back out, the snow melts,
some snowdrops bloom. It gets cold again. But eventually – well, we all
know: you can’t hold back the spring!

…so hold on to your hope.

One of the men in our migrant community had an accident at work this week,
and drove a nail into his leg with a nail gun. It lodged in the bone, and
took surgeons two hours to remove. He is doing fine, now, but will have to
be out of work for a bit. Please pray for him as he recovers.

Blessings and love to all,
Chava

Monday, March 24, is the anniversary of the assassination of Oscar Romero,
for whom our church is named. Two of the men responsible for his death were
trained at the School of the Americas in Georgia, now know as WHINSEC.
There will be a vigil outside the Federal Building here in Rochester,
sponsored by ROCLA, Pax Christi Rochester and SOA Watch Rochester, at 4 pm on Monday the 24th.  Hope to see you there!

Oscar Romero Church
An Inclusive Community of Liberation, Justice and Joy
Worshiping in the Catholic Tradition
Mass: Sundays, 11 am
St Joseph’s House of Hospitality
402 South A