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Parochial Vicarfrricardostjudeparish.comGreetings to all! My name is Father Ricardo Reyes Mata, and I go by Father Ricardo. I was ordained on June 4, 2022. I have just been recently assigned to this parish for my first assignment as a priest.
To give a little background of myself: I was born in Mexico and raised in Oak Cliff in Dallas; my parents brought me to the States when I was 5 years old. I am the oldest of 9 siblings, my youngest sibling being my little sister who is 4 years old; all of them live in Oak Cliff. Thanks to this large family God has blessed me with, I have seen the importance of the sign of the family has in this generation. I am grateful to the Lord that now as a Priest I may be able to serve the families of this Parish.
My journey to the seminary was one of a fish caught on a hook, fighting and resisting to enter the seminary and answering the call to the Priesthood, even though it was clear to me that the Lord was calling me. After years of resisting the call, I entered the seminary when I was 21. My journey has been like one of the Parables in the Gospel of the son who says, “no,” and then goes on to say, “yes.” (Matthew 21:28–32). However, I can say today that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Through these 11 years of formation in the Seminary I have learned one thing: God is Love. Period. It has been that Love that has seduced me, forgiven me and given me the joy in my life that I was missing. Before the seminary I was studying to be a Math Teacher, my dream profession, when the Lord had called me. The Lord, never getting tired of my resistance and always loving me, has sent me now to teach something else: His Love and Mercy.
I thank the Lord for everything he has given me through the Church and the Seminary, and I hope to be of service to this community in whatever way I can. Please pray for me as I begin my life as a priest, that I may be a holy priest. I am looking forward to working side by side with all of you to bring Christ to others and to help our parish, especially the youth, to love Christ. God bless!
