Msgr. Valdivia-Aguirre to celebrate silver jubilee with series of Masses

SAN ANTONIO • Msgr. Adolfo Valdivia-Aguirre came to the Alamo city as a seminarian in 1964, thanks to then-Auxiliary Bishop Patrick F. Flores. In July 1973 he was visiting his father in San Jose, Calif., when one of his aunts gave him a copy of the Catholic newspaper of the Archdiocese of San Francisco called The Monitor. Inside the paper was an article written by the first Hispanic bishop in the United States: a young Patrick F. Flores.
In the article, titled “El Obispo habla”, Bishop Flores asked if anyone knew of any seminarians needing help to write to him. Msgr. Valdivia was a seminarian studying for the Diocese of San Juan de los Lagos in Jalísco, México, when he accepted the invitation from the bishop. Msgr. Valdivia remains eternally grateful to the archbishop emeritus for all the help he received from him as a seminarian and as a priest.

Valdivia

Msgr. Valdivia is now ministering in the Diocese of San Jose, where he was ordained by Archbishop Flores on Dec. 14, 1981. He will be presiding at several liturgies on the occasion of his 25th anniversary of priesthood at the following parishes where he was assigned either as a pastor or as a parochial vicar:

• Catholic Television of San Antonio (CTSA) Mass on Feb. 16 at 9:30 a.m. Msgr. Valdivia led a program on CTSA titled “Viviendo el Evangelio.”
• St. Joseph in Devine on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 5 p.m.
• St. Lawrence in San Antonio on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 9 a.m.
• St. Matthew in San Antonio on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 12:45 p.m.

    In addition, Msgr. Valdivia also ministered at the following parishes as a parochial vicar: St. Patrick, St. Philip of Jesus, St. James and St. Gregory the Great, all in San Antonio. He is inviting parishioners of these churches to be with him. Msgr. Valdivia can be contacted at 2980 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95111 or by phone (408) 363-2300.

    In a letter written to the bishop of San Jose, with copies sent to Archbishop Emeritus Flores, Archbishop José H. Gomez and retired Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan, Msgr. Valdivia offered the following insights on 25 years as a priest.
    “Over 30 years ago a great man invited me to study for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. I accepted his invitation with great joy and tried with great joy to serve the people of God of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. His support in words and in deeds helped me to be a happy priest! His wisdom and courage have had a profound effect in my life. I am grateful to God almighty for Archbishop Patrick F. Flores,” Msgr. Valdivia stated.

    Msgr. Valdivia also said that when he was in the seminary in Guadalajara the advice given to him by Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez has helped him in his life as a priest ministering to parishioners. “You will encounter many idiosyncrasies amongst priests and parishioners,” the cardinal said. Msgr. Valdivia wrote that he made a decision many years ago to deal with these idiosyncrasies with a sense of justice and charity. “I have tried to be faithful to that decision though not always successful,” he said.

    Msgr. Valdivia also remembers what Mother Teresa once told him when he met her while studying in Rome. “The most important thing is not to be successful but to be faithful,” she said. Thanks to Mother Teresa’s advice, Msgr. Valdivia stated that despair has not taken over because of his failures, thanks to Mother Teresa’s advice.
    “I am indeed a very happy priest in spite of the pains and sorrows,” he states.

    Msgr. Valdivia asks the young people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio to think and pray about becoming priests. “I myself am a foreign born Mexican just like many other foreign born priests from somewhere else. I have always prayed for native vocations and thanked God for the contributions of many of the foreign born clergy,” he advises young people of the archdiocese. “Do not be discouraged by the weaknesses of us priests but rather focus on Jesus, the Good Lord who invites you to be an ordained spiritual leader in our church.”