Mass in San Antonio honors new saint with a connection to archdiocese

Published: 2006-10-24

SAN ANTONIO (CNS) -- St. Rafael Guizar Valencia, a saint with a personal connection to San Antonio, was honored on the day of his canonization in Rome with a special Mass at San Fernando Cathedral, where he preached while in exile from his native Mexico during the late 1920s. The main celebrants for the Oct. 15 Mass were Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of San Antonio and his predecessor, retired Archbishop Patrick F. Flores. Also concelebrating were Bishop Edmond Carmody of Corpus Christi; Father David Garcia, rector of San Fernando; and Jesuit Father James Empereur, parochial vicar at the cathedral. A large assembly of priests and deacons also participated. "Blessed be God who gave us this great man," said Archbishop Flores in his homily. "And blessed be this great man for all that he has taught us." He noted there was a lesson to be learned from the new saint about the day's reading from the Gospel of St. Mark -- about the wealthy man who was invited to sell all he owned and follow Jesus. It applies not just to the materially rich, the archbishop said, "but to everyone who, in some way or another, has something they can share with others."

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