Parochial Vicars

  We are pleased to have Father Paul Melgarejo as our Parochial Vicar here at St. Matthew. Father Paul was ordained at St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Saturday, May 15, 2021. We have asked him to share a bit about himself as a way of introduction: I was born in Laredo Texas and raised in Jalapa Veracruz, Mexico, and San Antonio, TX. I have two brothers, Willy, and Mark and one sister Yadira. My mother Rosa lives here in San Antonio with my brother’s family. My father Abraham passed away recently from Covid 19, on February 11, 2021, at the age of 78.

I attended Fox Tech. Class of 1993. I graduated from Palo Alto College with an Associates in Bilingual Studies and at UTSA in San Antonio with a bachelors in Spanish. I taught Spanish, bilingual education and Spanish Immersion in San Antonio TX, Galveston County and Seattle WA for over 8 years. I love to run, play sports, basketball, volleyball, soccer, swimming, and baseball. Also, I like to watch all kinds of movies, bowl, nap, and hike. Any outdoor activity I enjoy a lot.

I was called to my vocation while working as an elementary teacher for NEISD. One day as I was looking at a video on YouTube, "Fishers of Men,”* I received a message from God: "I want you to be my priest." I took time off from teaching to discern my vocation to the priesthood. At that time Fr. Larry Christian was the Pastor at St. Francis of Assisi. I met with him once a month for a whole year to ask him many questions about the call to the priesthood, and finally, I decided to enter the seminary. My time in the seminary has been very educational, spiritual, and fruitful. One of the biggest takeaways that I have learned that will stick with me in my ministry is to maintain my prayer life: the cultivation of devotional life, which can include, daily rosary, chaplets to St. Michael the Archangel, novena to the Holy Spirit, visits to the Blessed Sacrament. The Liturgy of the Hours helps me foster my relationship with our Lord Jesus and my call to discipleship. Also, it helps me keep in contact with the Virgin Mary, the saints, angels, and archangels. My favorite Saint is Charbel Makhlouf, a Maronite monk and priest from Lebanon, because he had a "passion for prayer, holiness, and worshipping." He had a special ability to unite Christian and Muslims. There are over 26000 miracles attributed to the intercession of Saint Charbel Makhlouf, who has performed miracles on people who were sick, disabled, mentally ill, and dying from various religions including Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jewish, Druze, Alawites, Atheists.

I love all the liturgical seasons of the Church, but Lent and Easter can be the best ones, for it is through the season of Lent that I do a deeper re-examination of my faith. It is a sacred journey of drawing myself nearer to the one who is love. Easter season is an awesome celebration of our new life in Christ. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us "Christ has destroyed death and now is the FEAST OF FAITH." The book of John is one of my favorites in the Bible. John gives us fewer stories than the other gospels, but those he does present are rich with detail. Scenes in John that are not in the Synoptic Gospels include the discussion with Nicodemus, the conversation with the woman at the well, the raising of Lazarus. The gospel of John is an enjoyable book, full of theological insight and spiritual life. The Gospel of John leads anyone to the deep waters of the mystery of God. "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink!" (Jn 7:37)

To other young men who may be discerning a vocation to the priesthood I would say, do not be afraid to answer the call; make the phone call to the priest and ask him many questions. I found out more about my call to the priesthood by attending daily Mass, praying the rosary daily, and offering a holy hour in the chapel after each Mass. "Developing a daily habit and form of prayer will help you hear more clearly the call of the Lord." I look forward to serving the people of God, celebrating the Holy Mass every day, and offering all the sacraments. Overall witnessing God transform lives will be my greatest joy as a priest. “A man who prays lives out of the mystery of existence, and a man who does not pray scarcely exists. Success in life consists of standing without shame before God.” St. Charbel

This is the link to the YouTube "Fishers of Men" a priesthood vocation story by Chicago priests. https://youtu.be/oYmTDVKbO78