To commemorate the anniversary of Archbishop Romero’s martyrdom, the Rothko Chapel will be filled with music and spoken word.

The Trinity Jazz Ensemble, which performs regularly for Sunday worship at Trinity Episcopal Church, will create a special program of music inspired by Romero and jazz renditions of folk mass and popular songs from the Archbishop’s native El Salvador.

Community leaders from around Houston will read from Romero’s homilies and writings, including his book “Violence of Love” and his homilies.

The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 24 at the Rothko Chapel, 3900 Yupon.

The program will begin with a poem read in tribute to Romero, followed by a city declaration, presented by council member, district J, Mike Laster, naming March 24 as the official Day of Bishop Romero in Houston.

Then Trinity Jazz Ensemble will take the stage, staring performers Pelayo Parlade on piano, Mike Owen on bass and Ernesto Vega on flute and clarinet, as well as vocalist April Sloan-Hubert .

Readings by community members will be sprinkled in between performances, and the program will close with a solo by April Sloan-Hubert of “Amazing Grace.”

Every other year, the Rothko Chapel awards human rights leaders who share the spirit of late Archbishop Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who was assassinated in 1980 for championing the rights of the poor and fighting unjust government tactics in El Salvador at the time, including torture and assassination.

The event is pay what you can.

For more information about the Rothko Chapel and a full calendar of upcoming programs, workshops and events, visit rothkochapel.org or call 713-524-9839.