Courageous Witnesses · Week 2 · Grades 3–5
Guided Notes: St. Óscar Romero
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Óscar Romero
A carpenter who became a priest
Óscar Romero was born on August 15, blank 1, in a small mountain town in El Salvador. His father worked for the telegraph office. The family was not rich, so Óscar left school early and learned to make furniture with a carpenter.
But Óscar felt called to be a priest. At 13 he entered the blank 2. He studied in Rome and was ordained a priest in 1942. Back home, he served as a parish priest for more than 20 years. He was shy and liked things to be orderly.
He could not stay quiet
In blank 3 Óscar became Archbishop of San Salvador. At that time a few rich families owned almost everything. Most people were very poor. People who asked for change were being killed.
Three weeks later, his good friend Father Rutilio Grande was killed for helping poor farmers. Archbishop Romero decided he had to speak. Every Sunday, on the radio, he read the names of people killed or kidnapped.
On March 24, 1980, he was shot and killed while saying Mass. The Church calls him a blank 4.
Words to know
Write what each word means.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Archbishop | Write your answer |
| Seminary | Write your answer |
| Homily | Write your answer |
| Martyr | Write your answer |
| Canonized | Write your answer |
Quick check
What event made Archbishop Romero decide to speak out? Circle one.
- A He won a famous prize
- B He moved to Rome to study
- C His friend Father Grande was killed
- D He started a new radio station
God's microphone?
Does each action carry God's love, or not? Sort them. Romero said, “Each one of you has to be God’s microphone.” Check one box for each.
| Item | God's microphone | Not God's microphone |
|---|---|---|
| Telling the truth when it is hard | ||
| Posting a mean comment about a classmate | ||
| Inviting a lonely student into your group chat | ||
| Staying silent while a friend is teased | ||
| Sharing your lunch with someone who forgot theirs | ||
| Passing along a rumor in a game chat |
Quick check
How did people all over El Salvador hear Romero's Sunday homilies? Circle one.
- A They were broadcast on the radio
- B They were printed on big posters
- C They were mailed to every home
- D They were sung by a school choir
Think, pair, share
Romero used the radio to speak up for people nobody was listening to. Imagine someone is being left out or teased in a group chat. What could you say or do?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “I could speak up by ...”“It is hard to speak up because ...”“One way to include someone online is ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
Lord Jesus, you love the poor and the forgotten.
Give us courage to tell the truth with love.
St. Óscar Romero, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
He was named a saint on October 14, 2018. His feast day is March 24. He said, “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
Challenge: This week, be God's microphone once in person and once online: say something true and kind that someone needs to hear.