On Sunday, August 24th at 11am, The Fountains will screen the feature film, “Romero,” starring Raul Julia as the El Salvadoran Archbishop who was converted from a bookish cleric into “the firebrand of Central America.” Father Ellwood Kieser described the film as the story of “a mouse of a man who became a tiger struggling for justice and defending the rights of his people. He knew his defiance of the military and denunciation of the oligarchy would cost him his life. Yet he chose to go ahead. His is a story of contemporary Christian heroism.”
As tens of thousands of Central American refugees, many of them children, seek asylum in the U.S., it’s important to look back into the not-so-distant past to try and grasp the complex political, economic, and religious causes that have led to today’s crisis. 35 years ago, as El Salvador was plunging into Civil War, one man, Archbishop Oscar Romero, became the “voice of the voiceless” and stood up publically for the rights of the poor and dispossessed in his country. His commitment to follow Jesus’ example was so threatening to the powers that be that he was assassinated. These powers are still at work in Central America — as they are in any setting where power and money are the primary motivating factors.
Released in 1989, “Romero” is the first Hollywood feature film ever financed by the Roman Catholic Church. Critic Randy Parker calls it “a compelling biography, a stirring drama, and, most importantly, an educational experience.”
If you’re interested in exploring some of the roots of our immigration crisis and understanding the complex realities of what following Jesus can lead to in a contemporary setting, mark your calendar to view “Romero” with us on the big screen in the sanctuary. A brief discussion will follow the screening. Bring a lunch and meet in the Sanctuary at 11am. Drinks will be provided.
Click here to see the “Romero” Trailer
Event: Screening of “Romero”
Date & Time: Sunday, August 24th at 11am
Cost: Free
Location: The Fountains, a United Methodist Church
15300 N. Fountain Hills Blvd. Fountain Hills, Arizona 85268