Remembering a martyr to the cause

No jokes, no smart comments, just the facts, man. Just the ugly history: The rightist government of El Salvador was pretty pleased when the church named Oscar Romero archbishop of San Salvador in 1977: He wasn’t one of those Commie “liberation theologists” who were always bellyaching about death squads and human rights and all that nonsense. This was someone they could work with. Then, barely missing a beat, they went after his buddy, the Rev. Rutillo Grande, who was assassinated by paramilitary death squads funded, at least in part, by the United States. And it was like the scales fell from his eyes. The archbishop became the “voice of the voiceless” during a time of terrible repression and the beginning of that country’s 12-year civil war — making him a problem for the generals running the show. They took him out three years later. On March 24. On Good Friday. During Mass. Shot him dead as he prepared the Eucharist. Saint Paul’s Church will observe the Feast Day of this modern-day martyr by screening “Romero,” a film about his life that stars Raul Julia. The film will be screened at 6 p.m. March 24 at the church, 166 High St.,  Newburyport. It’s free, but they will be accepting donations, which will be used to support the church’s outreach ministry in El Salvador.  For more information, call 978.465.5351.