At St George’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Southwark on Thursday 28 September at 6pm there will be a Solemn Ecumenical Vespers to mark the tenth anniversary of the shrine installed in honour of St Oscar Romero.

The preacher will be Dr John Hall, former Dean of Westminster Abbey where a statue of the saint is found above the west door.

Oscar Romero was Archbishop of San Salvador when martyred by government agents as he celebrated Mass.

The shrine is a huge 3-dimensional cross, designed in El Salvador by artist Fernando Llort. Inside a reliquary contains a fragment of the blood-stained alb that Archbishop Romero was wearing when murdered.

Oscar Romero has been likened to St Thomas Becket and Romero relics are found at each end of the Pilgrims’ Way -at Southwark’s St George’s Cathedral opposite the Imperial War Museum and in St Thomas of Canterbury Church next to Canterbury Cathedral.

Some pilgrims like to start at St George’s Cathedral and visit St Thomas of Canterbury Church immediately after arriving at Canterbury cathedral so as to acknowledge both saints.

The Romero Way is a short route linking St George’s Cathedral (RC) to Southwark Cathedral (Anglican/CofE) which provides a start for the Pilgrims’ Way without losing the experience of walking down Borough High Street as pilgrims of old including Chaucer’s fictional characters.

Thursday’s vespers will be followed by a reception for the congregation in the Amigo Hall.