Romero - Heartbeat of El Salvador is the title of a new play based on the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero to be performed in St Albans in October.

This year would have been the 100th birthday of this Catholic priest, but he was killed by a single bullet from an assassin, on March 24th 1980.

He was saying Mass at the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Providence in San Salvador, in the Latin American country of El Salvador. Fr. Romero was an outspoken critic of the system that allowed social injustice, poverty, torture and ‘disappearance’ to prevail.

In 2010 the United Nations proclaimed March 24th, to be the ‘International Day for the Right to the Truth, concerning gross Human rights Violations, and the Dignity of Victims’.

Many relatives of those who are abducted, tortured or summarily executed, never find out the fate of their loved ones.

Both Westminster Abbey and St Albans Abbey have statues of this remarkable martyr. In Westminster, the statue is on a prominent niche on its western façade. Our own abbey has a beautifully painted statue in the medieval niche in the nave screen.

If you are interested in knowing more about Oscar Romero, please come to the play on Thursday October 5th at Ss Alban & Stephen Church in Beaconsfield Road, St Albans.AL1 3RB. The new play is by the RISE theatre, a group of young actors.

The performance starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost £5.00 for adults, children 11-17 are free, but must be accompanied by an adult .www.ticketsource.co.uk/risetheatre