[5] Chávez was an influential bishop in the region, making pastoral travels to neighboring sees, such as Matagalpa, Nicaragua, which he visited in 1942.

[6] That same year, Chávez organized a eucharistic congress to celebrate the first centennial of the San Salvador archdiocese.

[8] In 1945, Chávez authorized veneration of the Child Jesus of Bethlehem image that reportedly appeared at the beach in Acajutla, in Sonsonate, El Salvador.

[12] But, Chávez was a prolific writer, and his 52 pastoral letters also included some that established a tradition of social justice in the archdiocese.

He recruited Rutilio Grande into the priesthood and supported Jose Inocencio Alas who helped to introduce Liberation Theology to the country.

Similar communitarian activities were later advocated by the Salvadoran Christian Democratic Party (Partido Democrata Cristiano or PDC).

Chávez maintained largely cordial relations with the government, as typified by his blessing the legislative palace in March 1973.

[26] In February 1996, Pope John Paul II may have bolstered the prospects of Chávez' sainthood when he called the prelate a "model of virtues" when he visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Savior (Catedral Metropolitana de San Salvador) where Chávez is buried.

He added, referring to Chávez' and his two successors, "I am sure that they intercede for the Church that they loved and served until the end of their days, and whom they leave a particularly eloquent message.