BEAUMONT, Texas — Father Luis Urriza has done everything in his power to put the Latin American community in Beaumont first, but on Thursday, August 19, it was their turn to celebrate him.
June 1944 stands out in history – D-Day in World War II, U.S. Congress charters the Central Intelligence Agency, the youngest player in MLB history pitched for the Cincinnati Reds, and Urriza was ordained in Spain as a priest for the Augustinian Fathers.
Fast forward almost eight decades and most of that can only be found in a history book or online – except for Urriza who can be found at Cristo Rey Parish in Beaumont where he is pastor. He is currently in the midst of planning the celebration of his priestly anniversary 75 years after his ordination on June 18, 1944.
“My favorite thing about having been a priest for 75 years is that I get to do what Christ did, serve,” Urriza said.
Urriza serves thousands out of that little parish in the Avenues section of Beaumont.
Four or five baptisms, a couple of weddings, Quinceaños Masses, Sunday Masses, maybe a funeral all in the same weekend isn’t unusual for this servant of God.
In the course of a year at Cristo Rey, Urriza oversees about 180 baptisms, 150 First Communions, almost 90 confirmations. He can sometimes have several weddings and Quinceaños Masses in just one weekend. Until recently, he was the only priest at the parish and doesn’t even have a deacon.
When Father Urriza is at the parish, he personally answers each knock at the door ready to hear confessions, listen to a parishioner’s problem and rejoicing when they tell him good news. But, parishioners know that afternoons are his rest time.
Urriza stays active away from the parish as well. He is a familiar sight at the local hospitals as he walks the halls visiting people he knows, waving his hand as he enters the rooms and praying at their bedsides.
He pauses long enough to have a quick chat before heading out to visit the homebound. Though he’s almost 98, Urriza is spry enough to get around without help and runs many of his own errands, visiting with folks at each stop.
Urriza's priestly journey started more than three-quarters of a century ago when his mother brought him to the seminary in 1933 at 12 years old. Young Urriza always felt a deep calling to the church and wanted to be there.
Unfortunately, Spain’s civil war started in 1936. Times were difficult because food and resources were scarce. Also, seminarians over 18 had to leave and fight in the war.
The civil war ended in 1939. However, about 100 Augustinian priests died because of the war, most of them professors. In order for Urriza to finish his seminary studies, he had to travel to different cities in Spain to finish his education.
On June 18, 1944, he was ordained a priest. One item that he has kept all these 75 years is the stole that his bishop placed on him during ordination.
After two years of military service, his superior told Urriza that he was needed in the United States to help the pastor of a church in Texas by playing the organ. In 1949, Urriza got on a ship and left Spain to head to New York. It was a journey that lasted 15 days.
He arrived in New York without any money and without knowing English. While waiting at Grand Central Station, an alcoholic man kept trying to speak to Father Urriza , but without knowing much English and being a bit scared of the new city, he kept dismissing the man.
After several unsuccessful attempts to communicate with Urriza , the man gave him a kiss and $5.
“I’ve thought about that day,” Urriza said. “I sometimes wonder if that was Jesus welcoming me to the U.S. I did not have any money yet this alcoholic man off the street gave me $5. Could this alcoholic man have been Jesus in disguise?”
Urriza finally arrived in Port Arthur to minister at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. Unfortunately, since it had taken so long for him to get there he found that another Augustinian priest arrived earlier and took the position as organist.
“I did not speak English and there was not much to do since I wasn’t the organist,” Urriza said. So, he explored the area seeing where he may be needed.
“I could occasionally say Mass in Vidor (also an Augustinian pastor) since it was in Latin at that time, but it was difficult to get to Vidor from Port Arthur. That’s when someone mentioned the city of Beaumont to me,” he said.
He spoke to his superior about opening a parish for the Spanish-speaking community in Beaumont. He then went to the bishop, Bishop Wendelin J. Nold of the Galveston Diocese, and made the request in 1951 because of the growing Hispanic population.
He told the bishop that he did not have any money or land, but wanted to build a church in Beaumont for the Spanish-speaking community. He was only 30 years old at the time and had been in the U.S. for only two years he was determined.
After Nold bought land for the church and a small group of faithful helped to raise funds, they had their first Mass inside the newly built Cristo Rey Church on Christmas Day 1953.
Much of this while Urriza was pastor. He has been pastor of Cristo Rey from 1951-1969 and from 1976 to now. And though he’s only days away from being a priest for 75 years, he has no plans to stop.
“I have no plans to retire. As long as I can still serve, I will continue to do so,” Urriza said. And the community of Cristo Rey and Southeast Texas is grateful for this diamond of a priest.