Archbishop Romero’s Diary-Nov_Dic_1978

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Sunday, December 24

I celebrated the Christmas Vigil in the morning, after the Mass in the cathedral, in Colonia Amatepec, where they greeted me with affection, carrying palms that made me think of Palm Sunday. We blessed the new hermitage. Father Jose Luis Bourguet, in charge of the pastoral work in this colonia, has managed to win the affection and esteem of all of these people, who work with him very enthusiastically.

This afternoon in Colonia Bernal. It is a part of the parish of Miralvalle that is under the Augustinian Fathers. I think that this Colonia Bernal, with the enthusiasm of its youth, is called to be the yeast of the new parish. We met there with a group of young people prepared by Father Plácido for Confirmation and a Eucharist with great participation. After Mass, there were tamales and coffee and bread for the children who had had their First Communion and for the guests.

In the evening, I celebrated the seven o'clock Christmas Eve Mass in the cathedral and at ten o'clock in the chapel of the Divine Providence Hospital.

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Monday, December 25

In the morning, wedding masses and First Communions in Soyapango parish. In the afternoon, as well, many weddings. There were forty couples, and a small group of children celebrating their First Communion. The two communities gave me great comfort this Christmas because of the preparation with which they were ready to receive the sacraments, especially Matrimony.

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Tuesday, December 26

In the morning, a group of children from San Antonio los Ranchos who had organized themselves into a solidarity committee for orphaned children came to see me. They had requested an audience with me and they spoke to me of their ideals, of wanting to empathize with these children, who are their friends, who have become orphans because their parents have been killed or disappeared or are in prison.

On this Christmas, they feel the sadness of so many children without parents and they want to do something. I congratulated them and offered them all the support I can give for their projects.

I had lunch in the Opus Dei [81] house. They are recently installed in a new house, since they are leaving the Doble Via.

I was visited by a representative of the International Red Cross principally to discuss the matter of the kidnapping of two men from England, one from Japan and another from Holland. And he will intercede with the authorities of the country and asked for my help, and I offered it, within the limits of my abilities and what I can do.

In the afternoon, a meeting of the pastoral team to continue listing information, activities and what could be better organized.

81 Founded as a secular institute in 1928, now an international prelature of both priests and laypersons.

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Wednesday, December 27

Patronal feast of San Juan Opico. We were able to concelebrate with Father Jose Maria Dueñas, who was ordained in this very church fifty years ago by his uncle, the bishop of San Miguel, Bishop Juan Antonio Dueñas. I preached and shared very pleasant memories of Bishop Dueñas and Bishop [Rafael] Valladares. And I cordially congratulated the guest of horror. After Mass, we met with catechists from this parish community and from Tacachico. The problem of a priest for Tacachico was discussed again and I left them charged with helping me to think of a solution.

In San Juan Opico, we discussed the problem of a priest for Tacachico. I asked the catechists and priests for their help in resolving, through consensus, such an urgent problem.

In the afternoon, I ordained deacon the young man Jaime Paredes, for he has almost finished his studies of theology in the seminary in Guadalajara, Mexico. He will go back to finish his studies and then come to be a deacon for a time and then he will be ordained a priest. In the basilica, there were many distinguished people, some from Opus Dei, and I tried to greet all of them.

In the evening, I was interviewed by a North American journalist att he Divine Providence Hospital.

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Thursday, December 28

In Old Cuscatlán we celebrated the traditional Feast of the Innocents. The message I brought was one of respect for life, the sense of solidarity and how Christ is the source of all of our merits. I talked with Father Hector Figueroa, who will leave the diocese to enter a religious community and go into mission work according to the call he feels in his vocation. I respect his vocation, his wishes, and I told him the diocese will be open to him if he should wish to return.

In the afternoon we marked the thirty-day anniversary of the death of Father Neto Barrera in Domus Mariae with a group of workers who used to meet with him, and they shared with me their impressions of him. I really feel that Father Neto did not always convey a purely priestly message but rather acquiesced greatly with the political and revolutionary ideals of these groups. Nevertheless, they tell me, they thought he always tried to guide them as a priest. We still do not know what the deepest beliefs of this priest were.

This same day there was a gathering of priests at the seminary. The priests' cooperative was celebrating its Christmas party-very lively and well attended.

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Friday, December 29 

In the evening, a nice time shared with some young people at the pastoral house of San Antonio Abad-some sixty young people giving their opinions, reporting on their pastoral activities and asking anxiously about their problems, which are typical of the times.

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Saturday, December 30

In the Colegio Belen in Santa Tecla, the Carmelite Sisters of St. Joseph were celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the death of their founder, Mother Clarita Quiroz. I officiated, talking to them in the homily about their charism, of the need to be faithful to it and to adapt it to the present situation and to that of the local Church.

I participated for a while in the meeting of the Vicariate of the Department of La Iibertad, which was meeting in the convent of Concepcion Church. Almost all the priests, religious communities and laypeople who work in the pastoral work were present.

This afternoon, I learned that FARN, which has the four men who were kidnapped, had accepted the mediation of the Human Rights Commission, but they wanted me to become part of the Commission. When I was notified of this by the Human Rights Commission, I told them that I would accept with pleasure and that I was at their service to help to save these lives and also the lives of the prisoners that these forces are asking the government to free.

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Sunday, December 31

We have come to the end of the year. The Mass in the cathedral was well attended, as was the Mass at seven in the evening, at which we already were celebrating the Mass for January 1.

At noon I had lunch with the seminarians that work in the cathedral at the Colegio Sagrada Corazón. Lunch was provided for us there.

In the evening at ten o'clock we had a meditation before the Blessed Sacrament and I celebrated Mass in the chapel of the Divine Providence Hospital. And in the sisters' dining room together with other special visitors, in the midst of the explosions of fireworks, we witnessed the passage from an old year to a new one. And we predicted happiness for the new year. Happy New Year!

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