Monse

Description

“María López Vigil has blessed us with a new and radical form of hagiography; a portrait of Monseñor Oscar Romero assembled by many hands: a mosaic composed of radiant chips of memory, precisely retrieved. Here we may listen to the voices silenced in the past, and what they offer is a symphony of testimony to the life of one who struggled among us toward heaven and a new earth.” —Carolyn Forché, poet/author, The Country Between Us

Monseñor Romero: Memories in Mosaic is a collectively painted portrait of El Salvador’s beloved archbishop, Oscar Romero (1917-1980), who took his place in history as a voice for the poor in the turbulent times leading up to El Salvador’s civil war, and who ultimately offered the sacrifice of his life. Stories and remembrances gathered from peasants, friends, theologians and pastoral associates compose the colorful pieces of this multi-faceted biography. The result is a moving portrait of the archbishop in three dimensions—not simply as the legendary hero, or a distant saint and martyr, but a human being with doubts and frailties who found the courage to listen to others, examine his beliefs, and step forward into a role in history that only he could play.

María López Vigil was born in Cuba and has worked in Nicaragua since 1981. She is the editor of Envio, a magazine of information and analysis about Central America, published by the Jesuit University of Central America in Managua.