2 priests, 2 lay people beatified in El Salvador

By MARCOS ALEMÁN
Associated Press

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The Roman Catholic Church beatified two priests and two lay people who were victims of right-wing death squads during El Salvador’s civil war. The Rev. Rutilio Grande was a Jesuit priest known for his ministry to the poor. He was an inspiration to St. Óscar Romero, the archbishop of El Salvador who himself was murdered three years later. Franciscan priest Cosme Spessotto was an Italian who was shot dead while praying at the altar of his parish by Salvadoran soldiers June 14, 1980. He worked in one of the poorest parts of El Salvador and stayed  even in the face of death threats.