Introduction: journey to sainthood -- Childhood -- Romanit? -- Busy priest -- Dark years -- First stirrings -- Baptism -- A paschal church -- Romero against the bishops -- Voice of the voiceless -- Death comes for the archbishop

Who is Oscar Romero, assassinated in 1980 while saying mass, beatified by Pope Francis in 2015, a man Latin Americans already claim as Saint Romero of America? This biography, a Romero primer, sets out to answer this question for the general public ages fifteen up--readers who may know little about El Salvador, Romero's homeland, or the Roman Catholic Church. Based on interviews with some of Romero's seminary mates and siblings, this title reveals not-yet-published information to fill gaps in Romero's first twenty-five years of life. One chapter explores the archbishop's surprising relationship with "misguided" young adults. The author takes painstaking effort to convey the context in which this old-school cleric emerged as an audacious voice of the voiceless. That he did so is remarkable; Vatican officials named him archbishop confident he would remain silent, rein in activism, and ruffle no status-quo feathers. How and why Romero defied expectations ranks among the most compelling faith stories of the late twentieth century. Jose Inocencio Alas honors this work with a foreword. A former priest and colleague of Romero who narrowly survived abduction and torture by El Salvador's notorious National Guard, Alas has exclaimed, "I hope just about everyone in the world reads this book."

"A tale told well that provides valuable insights into the motives and modus operandi of the death squads in El Salvador, and of the financiers who commissioned and facilitated such crimes. It also highlights the difficulties that face those who pursue such cases many years after the crimes have taken place."—New York Review of Books On March 24, 1980, the assassination of El Salvador’s Archbishop Óscar Romero rocked that nation and the world. Despite the efforts of many in El Salvador and beyond, those responsible for Romero’s murder remained unpunished for their heinous crime. Assassination of a Saint is the thrilling story of an international team of lawyers, private investigators, and human-rights experts that fought to bring justice for the slain hero. Matt Eisenbrandt, a lawyer who was part of the investigative team, recounts in this gripping narrative how he and his colleagues interviewed eyewitnesses and former members of death squads while searching for evidence on those who financed them. As investigators worked toward the only court verdict ever reached for the murder of the martyred archbishop, they uncovered information with profound implications for El Salvador and the United States.

More than ten years after an assassin's bullet found its mark, Archbishop Romero's message of concern for the poor continues to reberate throughout the world and throughout the Church. This translation brings to the English-speaking world the authentic voice of the man "already acclaimed by many as St. Romero of the Americas."

The vivid and moving story of an archbishop whose courage cost him his life, told through the words of those who worked with him, lived with him, and prayed with him. Oscar Romero was considered a safe choice as leader of the Church in war-torn El Salvador, but he astonished supporters and opponents of the military regime alike by his uncompromising message of justice and reconciliation. Since his murder in March 1980, Romero has become a symbol of the Church's commitment to the rights of the poor.

Originally published on the twentieth anniversary of his death, this volume celebrates the life, spirit and legacy of Oscar Romero, the martyred archbishop of San Salvador.