Fr. Virgen celebrates 25th anniversary of priesthood
SOUTH JORDAN — Simplicity, sacrifice and humility are three qualities that have marked Fr. Javier Virgen’s quarter of a century as a priest.
On Aug. 4, 25 years after Fr. Virgen’s priesthood ordination, Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, where he is pastor, celebrated a Mass honoring his anniversary. People from parishes and missions in which Fr. Virgen has served, from Magna to Richfield, Orem to Salt Lake City, filled the church and social hall in thanksgiving and prayer for his years as a priest.
The theme that Fr. Virgen chose for the celebration was “Pray for vocations.”
In the homily at the Mass, Deacon Sunday Espinoza narrated some of Fr. Virgen’s childhood adventures.
“When Fr. Javier was a very young child he was already practicing the Mass in his mom’s kitchen, and he was already counseling his friends, making them closer to Confession,” Deacon Espinoza said.
When Fr. Virgen was about 10 years old he would borrow tools and wood and construct crosses, which he would plant in the field in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico.
“He was always being fascinated with wooden crosses,” said Deacon Espinosa, then asked why the young Fr. Javier crossed the road. “Because he had already covered the field with crosses,” he said with a big smile.
Deacon Espinoza also talked about the Eucharist and how Christ is with his people in the form of bread and wine transformed into his body and blood.
“Without the priest we wouldn’t have the Mass, the Eucharist. … It’s by God’s grace that today we have our priest who comes here and invokes the Holy Spirit to come before this altar to change bread and wine to the blood and body of Jesus,” Deacon Espinoza.
From the moment of his ordination, Fr. Virgen faced many challenges, including leaving a family of 16 brothers and sisters so he could minister in Utah, said Deacon Espinoza
As a newly ordained priest, Fr. Virgen was hearing Confessions for the first time and the first person who walked in was his mother, Deacon Espinoza said.
“Seeing her, he said, ‘Mom! Mom, what are you doing here? Get out of here! I can’t hear your confession,’ and she replied, as a faithful mother, ‘No. Right now you are not my son, you are my priest,’ and so he heard his mother’s confession,” the deacon said.
Fr. Virgen’s interest has never been in himself; he has always wanted to be an instrument of God, and every day he reflects on his call to service the deacon continued.
“Prayer and grace sustain him. By his example I pray that we all come to be happy and find who we are,” Deacon Espinoza concluded.
Among those present at the Mass were Deacon Forrest Gray and Maria Cruz Gary, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry. Maria Cruz Gray publicly thanked Fr. Virgen for his service and friendship, and added, “We wish you many more years with us.”
In the social hall after the Mass, some of those present wore T-shirts acknowledging the celebration.
That was the case of Jordan Gonzalez and his family, who have been parishioners of three parishes where Fr. Virgen has served.
“We met him some years ago at Sts. Peter and Paul [Parish],” then moved to Magna, Salt Lake City and now Herriman, Gonzalez said. “We are from Jalisco so we identified with him immediately. He has lots of gifts. … Through him our son healed. We wanted to be with him. We have moved following him.”
Fr. Virgen said he was very moved by the celebration and expressed his gratitude to those present. “This is a very special for myself, but it’s not really for me, it is the gift of God, of the priesthood to the Church, to the local Church of Salt Lake City,” he said.
Surrounded by friends, parishioners, and family members, Fr. Virgen received a handmade crucifix crafted by a parishioner especially for the celebration.
“Pray for vocations,” Fr. Virgen said. “It is crucial today more than ever that we pray for vocations to the priesthood. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. One of the things that I want to say again is that I give thanks for the gift of priesthood. It’s not mine, it’s yours. I pray to the Lord to give me more years in good health to continue serving as a priest. Please pray for me. I will always pray for you.”
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