First priest in 30 years to be ordained in Harlingen

HARLINGEN — For as long as Cesar Uriel Partida can remember the church has been a big part of his life.
From his upbringing in Ayotlan, Jalisco, Mexico, to the 14 years he spent in the seminary, Partida’s life has always revolved around the Catholic Church.
Today Partida makes the ultimate sign of commitment to the church that’s had a major impact on his life as the 32-year-old becomes ordained into the priesthood at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church.
He will be the first priest ordained in Harlingen in more than 30 years. The last was Monsignor Gustavo Barrera in 1979.
The service takes place at 10:30 a.m. and Bishop Daniel Flores will celebrate the Mass.
Partida will serve as pastor at St. Anthony’s and will celebrate his first Mass on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
Partida is one of 33 seminarians currently in the Rio Grande Valley.
“I felt a calling from God when I was 17 years old,” Partida said. “It’s been a wonderful journey and I’ve been truly happy the whole time.
“After years in seminary, I realized that the priesthood is the greatest gift we can receive. No one is worthy and no one calls himself to the vocation. It has to come from God. The Lord always works through our human nature.”
And if that’s the case, God’s been working on Partida since a young age.
When Partida was 5 years old, his parents immigrated to the United States to find work.
Partida stayed behind and was raised by his maternal grandparents.
To this day, Partida credits his grandfather Ramon Escoto’s influence for his love for scripture and God.
“My grandfather was a man of deep prayer,” Partida said. “In certain ways, he showed me who God was and introduced me to the church. We went to daily Mass.”
Ironically, Escoto passed away the same day that Partida entered the seminary.
Partida studied at San Juan de los Lagos seminary in Jalisco and Our Lady of Assumption Seminary in San Antonio.
“It was sad to say goodbye,” said Partida, whose two uncles were also priests. “But the gift he gave me will last a long time. My grandparents taught me how to pray the rosary and they’d take me to Holy Hour. My grandfather had a library full of books about spirituality. He was very wealthy but he was always generous and did a lot of service to his community. He had a great impact on my life.”
Now Partida hopes to return the favor by serving the church and the communities of St. Anthony’s and Harlingen.
Partida’s family has traveled from Mexico to witness his big day.
“Yes it’s like a wedding between a priest and the church,” Partida said. “But it’s an event for the whole church, not just one individual. I’m both excited and nervous. But I’m mostly amazed at how fast the time has passed. It’s truly incredible that this day is here.”

Eladioj@valleystar.com