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SAN ANTONIO (CNS) — Retired Archbishop
Patrick F. Flores, 87, the first Mexican-American bishop in the United States, died
of pneumonia and congestive heart failure Jan. 9 at Padua Place Residence for
retired priests in San Antonio.
The
bishop, who dropped out of school to be a migrant farmworker, was known for his
support for farmworkers, Mexican-American civil rights and his love of his
culture and heritage.
Funeral
arrangements were pending, but services will be held at San Fernando
Cathedral in San Antonio.
Los
Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez described Archbishop Flores as his good friend
and mentor and “a pioneer and role model not only for me but also for a
generation of Hispanic priests and Latino leaders.”
He
said the archbishop of San Antonio, who retired in 2004, “knew the
struggles of Hispanics in this country, and he was a friend to the farmworker
and a voice of conscience for dignity and human rights. He taught all of us to
celebrate our heritage and traditions and encouraged us to share our faith and
values proudly and to become leaders in our communities.”
Archbishop
Flores, born in Ganado, was one of nine children and called “Ticho”
by his family.
His
younger sister, Mary Moreno, told Today’s Catholic, newspaper of San Antonio Archdiocese, in 2004
that her brother would often walk up and down the road in front of the family
home praying the rosary. “He was always very close to God,” she said.
He
also had a light side, often winning dance contests with his sister Mary, and
played a number of instruments and sang.
He
was ordained to the priesthood in 1956 in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston and
was appointed auxiliary bishop of San Antonio in 1970. Eight years later, he was
installed as bishop of El Paso, and in 1979, he was appointed archbishop of San
Antonio.
He
was a member of the Immigration and Refugee Department of the U.S. Catholic
Conference, chairman of the Church in Latin America Committee of the National
Conference of Catholic Bishops, and chairman of the Texas Advisory Committee to
the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
In
1987, he welcomed Pope John Paul II to the San Antonio Archdiocese as part of
the pope’s nine-city tour. The pope celebrated Mass for a crowd of 330,000
people in a field that is now the site of John Paul Stephens High School. The Mass
still holds the record for the largest gathering in the state.
In
an interview with Today’s Catholic newspaper in preparation for his retirement,
Archbishop Flores said what he remembered most fondly of his time as archbishop
was simply his life as a priest.
“I’ve
spent 48 years as a priest, and I have loved it all. If I had the chance to
start all over again, I would not hesitate. I might have prepared better
academically and in some other ways. But I have literally found great
satisfaction in simply being a priest — being a bishop is simply assuming
additional responsibility.”
“I
have found it very challenging and very satisfying. So I’ve been happy at it
and will continue to be happy,” he added.
Following
Archbishop Flores’ retirement, he resided briefly at Casa de Padres retirement
center for priests of the archdiocese, but he spent the past several years at
the Padua Place residence for priests needing medical assistance.
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