And he has. His spirit, made manifest in marches, keychains, street names, posters, busts, slogans, and t-shirts, still resonates most strongly in his people. In some ways, his sacrifice is one that many people share. “How many children do you have?” I once asked my friend Milagro’s mother. “I had seven,” she replied, “but I lost one in the war.” But I lost one in the war. And my friend Carlos, when I asked him about his siblings, “We were ten, but we lost one in the war.” But we lost one in the war.
To me, St. Romero’s legacy, however, is not one of sadness, invoking the pain suffered during the war years, but rather, one of inspiration. Romero fought for peace and rights for his people. His legacy calls to us to do the same, to never stop fighting for the poor and the marginalized, to be, as he said, a voice for those without a voice.