Father Gutierrez: ‘serving God is exciting’

Father Richard Gutierrez shares his vocation story at the 28th Annual Clergy and Religious Appreciation Banquet hosted by the Knights of Columbus on Oct. 7.
Photo by Ervey Martinez | for STC

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Ever since he was a young boy, Father Richard Gutierrez, parochial vicar for Corpus Christi Cathedral, had been fascinated by Mass. As a young man, he began to fall in love with God and God’s people. “Whenever I went to Mass, it was almost like I was saying, ‘I love you,’ not saying the words, but it was a feeling, an emotion – something special, something I just didn’t have the words for.”

He was about eight years old when he first realized he wanted to be a priest. Instead, he became an altar boy because it was one step closer to becoming “the man behind the altar who got to have the most fun, got to get up, walk around and talk to people and people would listen to him,” Father Gutierrez said.

He attributes his faith to the love of three women, who have since passed away: his grandmother, Maria Garcia, who taught him how to pray; his aunt “Nana” Narcissa Gonzalez, who always took him to church; and his mother, Helen Gutierrez, who made sure he received a Catholic education. 

His mentor as a young man was Father James Stembler (now vicar general), who gave him a book written by the Knights of Columbus, Is God Calling You to be a Priest? “It was a small book, but it was so hard to read, and I would break out crying. Every priest I read about felt the same way I did,” he said.

Despite being pulled in the direction of the priesthood, Gutierrez continued to doubt. 

At one point, Gutierrez asked a girl he was dating to the Body of Christ Ministry dinner. As their table began to fill to capacity, they were directed to sit in a section allocated to priests. Father Gutirrez began ignoring his date on his right and started questioning the priest on his left: “What is it like to be a priest? Tell me your story. Please help me.” 

“I knew that night that God was calling me to be a priest. I called my younger brother, who just got home from Iraq, and he said, ‘Bro, I’ve already done my part for this country, but if God is calling you to be a priest. Do what you need to do. I’ll take care of mom and dad.’” 

Our Lady of Guadalupe has also played a pivotal role in his life. Whenever he was confused about what to do, he prayed to Our Lady of Guadalupe to give him a sign to let him know if he was making the right decision. Her image would always appear – in a statue, a summer assignment, a painting or a prayer card. 

“God has called me to be a priest. Am I worthy of it? No. Some days I wonder what God sees in me. But I do what my mother always said, especially when I’m stressed out – give it up to Him and let the Holy Spirit guide me. I do that every day.”

Comparing the priesthood to falling in love, he said, “priests share the love that God has given us – to everyone around us. That’s why I answered yes,” he said. “I get to be in the front line to the Body of Christ, and I get to see that smile on somebody’s face when they know that their sins are forgiven.”

“Serving God is exciting,” Father Gutierrez said. “When you love what you do – you’ll never work again in your life. There’s always a new adventure. I remember every child I baptized. Even at funerals, I remind them that death is not goodbye – but ‘see you later’ because Christ has won eternal life for all of us when He conquered death on the cross.”