Celebrating an Aug. 2 Mass in honor of the Divine Savior of the World, Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjívar urged the Salvadoran immigrant community to live with faith, commitment and solidarity.
“We are called to be a seed of hope in the land where God has planted us,” he told those gathered in the Crypt Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Mass honoring the Divino Salvador del Mundo, the patron of El Salvador.
In his homily, Bishop Menjívar – a native of El Salvador – noted the importance of being a light in times of adversity, forming families rooted in faith, and accompanying the most vulnerable, especially young people. “We have to help them dream, organize ourselves as a community that cares, that fights for the well-being of all,” Bishop Menjívar told the hundreds of faithful who filled the church.
Bishop Menjívar remarked on the presence of so many young people at the Mass, whom he called “the living hope of our Church.” He also recalled the profound spiritual significance of the Feast of the Divine Savior, referring to the Transfiguration of Christ as a symbol of light, struggle, and hope: “Christ provides us with an unshakeable faith even in the darkest moments of life: in poverty, suffering, forced migration, and even deportation.”
Bishop Menjívar also urged the faithful to become “new people committed to Jesus’s example, and to spiritually accompany those who face fear, job insecurity or the constant threat of deportation.” He said that the Mass “not only fills us with pride as Salvadorans, but it also commits us to be pilgrims of hope, from home, at work, in our communities.”
Offering prayers for peace, for children, for the protection of the planet, he prayed that God would “stop wars and ensure a dignified future.”
“As Christians, we are called to listen not only to the voice of the Father, but also to the cries of the poor, migrants, children, and young people seeking meaning in life,” he reminded the faithful.
In his message, Bishop Menjívar recalled Saint Óscar Arnulfo Romero, a symbol of justice and dignity for the Salvadoran people: “In the darkest moments of our history, Saint Romero was a powerful light that called for peace, justice and human rights.”
Upon evoking the figure of the Salvadoran martyr, Bishop Menjívar said: “Saint Romero challenged us to transfigure society with the Word of God, to promote human dignity, and to be instruments of peace and reconciliation.”
He concluded his homily with a fervent call: “Long live Christ! Long live the Divine Savior of the World! Long live the Virgin Mary! and long live El Salvador!”
One of the most solemn moments of the ceremony was the blessing and veneration of a first-class relic of Saint Óscar Romero: a blood-stained fragment of the vestment he wore on the day he was assassinated while celebrating Mass.
“It is a sacred symbol that connects us directly to his martyrdom and his total dedication to the people,” said Bishop Menjívar, inviting the faithful to remain silent and pray.
The relic, brought from El Salvador, will be displayed in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Washington. Bishop Menjívar was also presented with a commemorative stole embroidered with images associated with the saint.
“According to Catholic tradition, first-class relics are bodily remains of saints—such as bones, blood, or hair—and are considered spiritual treasures worthy of special veneration,” the bishop said.
Those at the Mass venerating Saint Oscar Romero spoke of hope amid suffering. Berta Salazar, 65, recalled the difficult years of the civil war in El Salvador: “During those times of violence, the Masses that Msgr. Romero broadcast on the radio were our consolation. Listening to him was like feeling the presence of the Lord.”
Rudy Villar, 52, shared memories marked by fear: “Bodies in the streets, helicopters shooting... My grandmother told us to pray, to sing to the Virgin. And she spoke of Bishop Romero as the prophet who prayed for peace. Then we emigrated and began a different life here.”
The feast of the Divine Savior of the World dates back to 1528, in a town south of present-day Suchitoto, where it was first celebrated under the patronage of the Holy Trinity. Today, almost five centuries later, this tradition lives on among Salvadoran communities abroad, reaffirming their identity, their faith, and their hope for a better world.
