Born in Cordova, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico April 7, 1964, Marco Antonio, is the second of 4 boys in the family. He grew up in the small town of Tilapan. When he was 12 years old he went with his older brother, Jose Luis, to San Andres, Tuxtla, where they went to high school and did some college prep. Every week they traveled to spend the weekends with their parents, Irma and Jose Luis, and their two younger brothers, Juan Manuel and Hector Hugo.
He studied at the University in Cordova and Orizaba, Veracruz, and graduated with a degree in agro/engineering. He worked almost three years in a factory in Guadalajara, where he lived with his grandmother, aunt and cousin. There he began to grow in his faith, taking his grandmother to Mass every day. Although his family has always been Catholic, he started becoming more involved and prayerful through the Charismatic Movement. It was at this time that he began to experience the Lord's call to the Priesthood. After attending a Charismatic conference (of about 50 thousand people) and receiving an interior healing, he started seeking to respond to God more and more through prayer. At the same time his love for the Eucharist and great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary grew. While living in Guadalajara he also served as a CCD teacher and played the guitar with the music ministry.
Led by the Lord, he traveled to Cuernavaca, where he attended a vocational retreat and God further illuminated the path of discipleship. He studied Philosophy and 3 years of Theology in the San Jose Seminary in Cuernavaca, while also traveling to classes in Mexico City for 3 years to earn a degree in Philosophy. For 5 summers he assisted (as a seminarian) the parish in Somerton, AZ and then decided to apply to serve in the Diocese of Tucson. He took ESL at the U of A, and finished his theological studies in 2 years in the Josephinum Pontifical College in Columbus, Ohio. (It was during this time that he assisted us at St. Andrew's/Good Shepherd for a summer, making many friends in the Parish!)
He was ordained a Deacon at Immaculate Conception in Yuma in June of 2000 and was ordained to the Priesthood at St. Augustine Cathedral on October 14 of 2000. He was assigned as Associate Pastor to St. Luke's in Douglas for six months and later named Pastor at St. Luke's, St. Bernard's, Pirtleville, and Immaculate Conception, Douglas, for over 2 years. In 2004 he served for seven months as Associate Pastor at St. Anthony in Casa Grande. On February 1, 2004, Bishop Kicanas named him as Pastor of St. James' in Coolidge, where he has served for 6½ years. We are so grateful to the Holy Spirit and Bishop Kicanas for sending Fr. Marco 'back' to us!!!