24th March 2010 marked the 30th anniversary of the martyrdom of Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador who was assassinated by a government-back militia for his speaking out in defence of human rights and the dignity of the poor. The 30th anniversary was being marked by a week of commemorative events in El Salvador, in Britain, and around the world.

On Saturday 20th March the first major ecumenical service of ‘Romero Week’ in Britain took place in the beautiful setting of York Minster. The service was coordinated by the Archbishop Romero Trust (www.romerotrust.org.uk) and was attended by over 500 participants, including the Ambassador of El Salvador to the Court of St. James, His Excellency Werner Romero, whose father worked as a journalist with Monsignor Romero.

The liturgy was led by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, and the preacher was Dr. John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, both of whom are patrons of the Archbishop Romero Trust.