This past Saturday, at the Carlos Gracida Institute in Oaxaca, Mexico, we joyfully celebrated the priestly ordination of Fr. Daniel Cruz Santos, Sch.P. It was a moment of deep rejoicing for the entire Piarist community. The celebration was presided over by His Excellency, Most Rev. Félix Lázaro Martínez, Sch.P., Bishop Emeritus of Ponce (Puerto Rico) and member of our Province of the United States and Puerto Rico.
Fr. Francisco Anaya Walker, Sch.P., Provincial Superior, presented the candidate and shared a message from Fr. Carles Gil, Sch.P., General Superior, written from Benin. In his letter, the General Superior highlighted the generous availability of the new priest and likened his vocation to Mary’s readiness at the Visitation:
“Many Christians, with great tenderness, call the Virgin Mary Our Lady of Readiness, because she set out in love and without delay to help her cousin Elizabeth. Today, as you receive priestly ordination, these Marian traits shine all the more clearly in your life.”
The celebration was simple, fraternal, and deeply meaningful. Fr. Daniel was accompanied by Piarist brothers, family members, friends, and members of the local community, who welcomed him with warmth and faith. The presence of two Provinces — Mexico and United States–Puerto Rico — united in one spirit, was a clear witness to the missionary and universal character of our vocation.
On Sunday, the following day, Fr. Daniel celebrated his First Mass at the parish of San Andrés, in Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. He was welcomed in procession through the streets of the town, accompanied by a joyful crowd. The Eucharist was full of life and deeply participatory, culminating in a fraternal gathering where the bond between the new priest and the community that raised him could be clearly felt.
As the General Superior reminds us in his letter: “Ordination is not a dignity; it is a self-offering. It is not a privilege; it is a mission.” We give thanks to God for Fr. Daniel’s vocation and pray that his ministry may be fruitful in the service of the children, young people, and families to whom he will be sent.
Fr. Luis Cruz Alberto Cruz, Sch.P.
