Crosses provide saving grace

In La Palma, El Salvador, 20 artisan painters and carpenters are supporting their families by selling crosses in memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero, and keeping his memory alive.

Find out more about Archbishop Romero

Lázaro lives in the border town of La Palma and makes colourful, wooden crosses and other beautiful crafts. Many of his crosses are sold by CAFOD in the UK and decorate homes and churches across England and Wales.

He speaks about Romero with warmth and reverence. “I admire Romero. I wasn´t very old when he was alive, but I remember him and I admire him for his love of God and his courage to defend people who were abused. That is why we in El Salvador celebrate his anniversary.”

Lázaro´s family are painters and work with other families in La Palma who are carpenters. Thanks to the sale of crosses through CAFOD, about 20 people in the town have a regular income, including single mothers who depend on this work as a way of supporting their children.

The painting on the crosses is very delicate and full of symbolism. The main image is of Christ on the Cross, and the title is ´The New Creation´. Lázaro explains that this refers to the new creation following the death of Christ. Above Christ is the sun that gives light to the world. The dove symbolises the Holy Spirit. The people below represent the disciples, and the animals signify creation and nature. The main message from this image is that God came to free his people from sin.

As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of Romero´s martyrdom on 24 March 2010 , the symbolism of Christ on the cross seems to resonate in a striking way. Here was a church leader who knew full well the risks that he ran in speaking out against a brutal and corrupt regime. Weeks before his death, he acknowledged that he was prepared to face the ultimate consequences.

The chapel of the Divine Providence in the city of San Salvador was the place of Romero’s martyrdom. As he presided at mass on Sunday 24 March 1980, a jeep full of soldiers drove by. A marksman got out, stood in the doorway and took aim. Seconds later, Romero´s corpse lay bleeding on the floor. His martyrdom expresses the Church´s commitment to peace and justice in the face of violence all over the world. With great affection and tenderness, many people in El Salvador refer to him today as Saint Romero of the Americas.