Preserving the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero

Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated as he led Mass in 1980. He had spoken out against military repression and killings of civilians.

Maria Hilda and Guillermo Gonzalez walk in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Thursday, days before Archbishop Oscar Romero’s canonization ceremony.

Guillermo and Maria Hilda Gonzalez have become ambassadors of Archbishop Oscar Romero’s legacy. They knew the prelate personally during their college days. This weekend, thousands of Savaldorans are expected to travel to Rome for his canonization ceremony.

Maria Hilda Gonzalez and her husband, Guillermo, carry relics like this old microphone used by Archbishop Oscar Romero, which they buried in their garden in El Salvador during the war.

The family of Maria Hilda and Guillermo Gonzalez visits museums at the Vatican this week.

Maria Hilda and Guillermo Gonzalez hold their grandson during their visit to the Vatican this week.

Maria Hilda Gonzalez, second from left, interviews pilgrims, many from El Salvador and Los Angeles, who flocked to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Thursday for Archbishop Oscar Romero’s pending canonization.

Maria Hilda Gonzalez and her family visit museums in Vatican City on Thursday.

Maria Hilda and Guillermo Gonzalez attend a musical show in Rome on Thursday honoring the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, who will be recognized as a saint on Sunday.