10-Year Ordination Anniversary to the Priesthood

Dear St. William Family, 

As I approach 10 years of priesthood, I find myself reflecting on my spiritual journey. These years have been filled with grace, growth, and countless moments that have shaped me not only as your pastor, but as a spiritual father. I’d like to take this opportunity to share a bit of that journey with you: the joys, the sorrows, and the many ways your love and faith have formed me along the way. 

I still remember my very first Mass at St. William back in July 2015. Walking back to my office following Mass, someone called out from a distance, “Thank you, Father! Have a blessed day!” I instinctively looked around for another priest, until I realized they were addressing me. Being called father was new to me. This was one of the moments that marked the beginning of my journey into fatherhood as a priest. 

Before I arrived at St. William in 2015, God had already been preparing my heart. My first sacrament as a priest was anointing my dear grandmother as she prepared for her heavenly reward. Just seven months later, I walked the same path with my father. These were painful losses, but through this grief, I learned how to meet people in their pain and be an instrument of His grace. That love continues to shape how I care for each of you today. 

In 2017, I was called to serve at St. Albert the Great as a parochial vicar and then, on January 6 of the following year, was named pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Temple and St. Matthew in Rogers. It was unexpected to be entrusted with that responsibility so early, but something profound happened on the day I was installed. I felt a deep contentment, as if God had fulfilled a longing in my heart. I began to understand what it meant to be a father to a parish family. Over the next few years, the community of Our Lady of Guadalupe journeyed together in faith, fostering spiritual growth and renewal while also enhancing the beauty and functionality of the parish grounds. 

Then on January 18, 2021, I officially became the pastor of St. William, While I was not surprised to be the pastor of St. William, I was surprised to be the pastor of St. William after only five years of priesthood. Our then Bishop Joe Vásquez assured me I was ready and invited me to come and love you. I knew I could. 

Over the past four years, our St. William parish family has journeyed together through so much: emerging from the pandemic, rebuilding after two major hailstorms, restoring our ministries and parish life, and witnessing our community grow in faith and in number. While I have had some challenging days, I have never had a day where I wished I was doing something different. Each challenge has been a gift. God has used the challenges we have faced together to provide a better pastor for you. 

As I reflect on this joyful Easter season, I’m filled with deep gratitude for each one of you. As a father, my heart has been set free to love you abundantly. I love your smiles, hugs, handshakes, and our conversations. You, my parish family, are the love of my life, and you all bring me much joy. God has been so generous to me that I keep saying ‘yes’ to Him and you. I am living my best life! Thank you for being a part of it. 

Pray for me that I would be a good shepherd for you. I hold you close to my heart daily.

May God bless you! 
Fr. Francisco Rodriguez III 
Pastor