Amarillo—Very Rev. Francisco Perez, JCL, the first priest ordained for the Diocese of Amarillo in the 21st Century and Vicar General for the past ten years, passed away Aug. 17. He was 61 years old.
Mass was celebrated Aug. 19, Templo Expiatorio, Guadalajara. A Memorial Mass for Father Pérez will be celebrated at 10:30am Aug. 26, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, presiding, with priests of the Diocese of Amarillo concelebrating and deacons of the Diocese of Amarillo assisting.
Francisco Pérez was born in Jalisco, Mexico on Jan. 22, 1963, the son of Dr. Elias Pérez y Pérez and María del Rosario Galindo Castañeda. He began his studies for the priesthood at the University of Guadalajara and in 1983, at St. Joseph’s Seminary.
In 1991, Pérez stepped away from the seminary and until 1997, worked as a teacher in a Catholic School to support his family, teaching a sixth-grade class in the morning and high school in the evening. He taught 19 subjects, including algebra, literature, music and philosophy.
“As a teacher, my intentions were to not only teach information, but to also influence the students morally, socially and spiritually,” Father Pérez said in an interview in the July 2, 2000 issue of The West Texas Catholic.
In 1996, Pérez was waiting for a friend outside the door of Cathedral Guadalajara. A priest from the Diocese of Amarillo, who was working for the Office of Vocations sent one of the young men in the group to Pérez.
“He told me that the priest was waiting for a seminarian,” said Father Pérez. “I told him I was not a seminarian, but I was not the person they were looking for.
“They told me that he was calling me anyway. I said, ‘Well, this person I am waiting for is late. So I will go with you.’ I went with them and Father invited me to come with him, but at the time I was unable to go.”
The priest told Pérez to take care of family business and financial responsibilities, and to expect a letter from him after a period of time to see if he would like to come be a priest in the Diocese of Amarillo.
In 1997, Pérez was assigned to work at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Amarillo. A year later, he went to Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, where he completed his studies for the priesthood.
On Nov. 13, 1999, Pérez was ordained to the transitional diaconate by Bishop Thomas Flanagan at Holy Rosary Church, San Antonio. Deacon Pérez was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 2000 by then-Bishop John W. Yanta at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Amarillo. The newly-ordained Father Pérez celebrated his First Mass the following day, also at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and a Mass of Thanksgiving on June 3, 2000 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Guadalajara.
Father Pérez' s first assignment was as Parochial Vicar at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Pampa and assisting with Spanish Masses at St. John the Evangelist Church, Borger.
In 2002, he was assigned to Blessed Sacrament Church, Amarillo, where he was appointed Pastor on Aug. 6, 2003. On Oct. 14, 2004, Father Pérez was reassigned to St. Vincent de Paul Church, Pampa, as Parochial Administrator and was appointed Pastor on Sept. 28, 2008. He was named Chancellor on Feb. 13, 2009 and was appointed Vicar General by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek on Nov. 4, 2013.
Very Rev. Pérez received a Licentiate in Canon law from the Catholic University of America on Oct. 31, 2012. He was invested into the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem on Oct. 18, 2015 in Austin.
Very Rev. Pérez was preceded in death by his father, Dr. Elías Pérez y Pérez; and a sister, Sara.
Survivors include his mother, María del Rosario Galindo Castañeda; two brothers, Javier Elías and his wife Edna Luvia Juan Platas and José Ángel and his wife María Idalia Zarazua Fuentes; a sister, María del Rosario and her husband Pedro Solorzano Mendoza; 19 nieces and nephews; and 13 grandnieces and grandnephews.