Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS: My Story

I was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, which is the center of the country.

I came from a large family and I am the oldest of 15 children. I lived all my first 16 years in the midst of my family.

My father was not a very talkative person, was more of a quiet side, very committed and very hardworking man. And he dedicated lots of time to the family.

My mother was a religious woman. She was always present, very creative, very expressive, very apostolic.

I was five years old. I told my parents that I wanted to make my first communion.

She asked me who would you like to be your… we call a sponsor for First Communion your padrino

And I said, oh, my uncle. He was a seminarian. So I asked him and he said, “Sure, I will be your padrino but I will pick you up every day at a quarter-to-six in the morning to take you to 6:00 mass. So you will get to know in a year who Jesus is.”

So every day he picked me up for a year. And then when I was six years old, I made my first communion. We had the mass at the parish. And after the mass we had a reception in downtown.

Before I cut the cake, one aunt, she said, but before you have your wish today, what do you would like to be when you grow older? And I said, a priest. And they say, oh, now you can cut the cake.

There are different stages of formation, and all begins with— at least in my order at that time— postulancy. As an order they wanted to be sure that there was some discernment. And then the novitiate becomes already officially to be included in the order in preparation for vows. And it took two years.

You take vows and these vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. And eventually you can make final vows, perpetual vows. And then a few years later, would be the diaconate and ordination. It will take about 11-12 years.

My ordination was in Guadalajara, Mexico. I remember the ceremony. There were many, many priests and many people. From the mass on it rained very, very, very hard. Those were like blessings for months and years to come in ministry that God was going to pour out those graces.

As a new priest, I was in San Jose at St Joseph's Church in Selma, California.

In my parish were two priests, but the community were four, and we were working in three parishes directly. We have 17 other parishes that we’re helping. And just seeing the poverty of people… they were not treated well. There were migrants and there were some with permission to be in the United States, some without it. But they were working. Their work was a noble thing. But it’s hard labor. Hard labor.

Eventually in the community in the parish were able to bridge, and it became a very fulfilling moments of seeing the communities, people, families coming together, you know.

It was through Cardinal George. Cardinal George in his house. We were in a meeting and I was leaving for confirmations and he pulled me into the chapel. He said to me, Gustavo, you have been called by the Holy Father to serve in San Antonio. I remember I held his hands and I knelt and I asked him for a prayer. He said a prayer for me, and I left for confirmations. And that was it.

So I didn’t know San Antonio, you know. And the date, the 23rd of November is the feast day of Father Miguel Pro. You know, who was killed by the government in the persecution of the Catholic Church in Mexico. So it became very meaningful.

But I just said I would like to address not only the Catholics but the non-Catholics of San Antonio, and I would like to do it with the Blessed Sacrament exposed. And everyone was invited. I was coming as a bishop of the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, knowing that not everyone in the Archdiocese is Catholic.

As bishops, priests, as lay people entrusted with the kingdom, it has to be about God.

Not as an idea. God with us that we can. But by God’s grace we go to heaven, you know. Not only my family, not only my people, everyone, everyone, everyone.

This transcript is an excerpt from “The Chair: San Antonio, TX”.