Virgilio Elizondo facts for kids

Virgilio P. Elizondo (born August 28, 1935 – died March 14, 2016) was a Mexican-American Catholic priest. He was also a community activist and a very important thinker in liberation theology and Hispanic theology. Many people called him "the father of U.S. Latino religious thought" because of his big influence.

Elizondo started the Pastoral Institute at the University of the Incarnate Word. He also helped create the Mexican-American Cultural Center. This center was a place for thinkers and religious leaders to develop new ways of serving and understanding faith from a Hispanic point of view. It is now called the Mexican American Catholic College. Elizondo was also famous for his book, Galilean Journey: The Mexican-American Promise. In this book, he looked at how Jesus' background in Galilee was similar to the experience of mestizo people (people of mixed heritage).

Life Story

Growing Up

Virgilio Elizondo was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1935. His parents were immigrants from Mexico and owned a grocery store. When he was growing up, Mexican-Americans faced many challenges in the city. Speaking Spanish was not encouraged. Virgilio didn't hear English spoken much at home, so he couldn't speak it well until he was in the sixth grade.

After finishing at Peacock Military Academy, Elizondo went to St. Mary's University, Texas in San Antonio. He studied chemistry and earned a science degree. He thought about becoming a doctor, but he felt a strong call to serve in the church. So, he joined Assumption Seminary in San Antonio to become a priest, which also allowed him to stay close to his family.

Becoming a Priest and Activist

Elizondo became a priest for the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1963. He was ordained by Robert E. Lucey, who was the archbishop (a high-ranking bishop) at the time. For the next two years, he worked in different church parishes. After that, he became the Director of Religious Education for the archdiocese. This job made his career more focused on teaching and studying.

Archbishop Lucey often asked Elizondo to help connect with the Mexican-American community. He even took Elizondo with him to a big meeting in 1968 called the Conference of Latin American Bishops in Medellín, Colombia. Elizondo helped as a translator and advisor. This meeting was important because it pushed for new, progressive ideas for the Catholic Church in the Americas.

After this experience, Elizondo returned to San Antonio. He soon began to organize the Hispanic community to help protect their rights. He started and led the Pastoral Institute at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. To help American Catholic priests understand and serve the Hispanic population better, he worked with Patrick Flores. Flores was an auxiliary bishop (a helper bishop) in the archdiocese. Together, they founded the Mexican-American Cultural Center in 1972. This center taught religious leaders how to think and serve from a Hispanic viewpoint. This helped them better serve the growing number of Hispanic Catholics. The center is now called the Mexican American Catholic College.

Later, Elizondo moved to Paris, France. In 1978, he studied at the Institut Catholique de Paris, a famous school for religious studies. There, he earned two advanced degrees: a Doctor of Philosophy and a Doctor of Sacred Theology.

In the late 1980s, Patrick Flores, who was now the Archbishop of San Antonio, made Elizondo the pastor (head priest) of the Cathedral of San Fernando. Elizondo started a Spanish-language Mass there. This Mass was broadcast on TV to a million homes, reaching many people.

Passing Away

Virgilio P. Elizondo passed away at his home on March 14, 2016. He received a full Catholic funeral and burial, honoring his many years of service to the Catholic Church and the world.

His Ideas on Theology

Much of Elizondo's ideas focused on the meaning of mestizo/a people and the process of mestizaje. He explained mestizaje as the mixing of two or more groups of people. This mixing can be biological (people from different backgrounds having children), cultural (different traditions blending), or religious (different beliefs coming together).

He was especially interested in Mexican-Americans. He saw them as a result of a double mestizaje. The first mixing created the Mexican people through a blend of biology, culture, and religion. The second mixing happened when Mexicans and Anglos (people of English descent) blended, mainly culturally, in the U.S. Southwest.

This second mixing started when America expanded into land that used to be Mexico. It continued as Mexicans immigrated to the United States. Elizondo believed that being mestizo/a gives a person a special position. They are both an insider and an outsider at the same time. From this unique place, mestizo/a people have the power to help create a new, united humanity. Elizondo wrote, "With each new mestizaje, some racio-cultural frontiers that divide humankind are razed and a new unity is formed." This means that when cultures mix, the old borders that separate people can disappear, and new unity can grow.

Elizondo was also very interested in the Virgin of Guadalupe. He saw her as a symbol of the Mexican people and a result of the mestizaje process.

Awards and Recognition

Elizondo received many honors for his work.

• In 2007, he was one of two people to receive the Community of Christ International Peace Award. The other person was Dolores Huerta.
• In 1997, he was given the Laetare Medal. This is the highest honor from the University of Notre Dame.
• In 2000, Time magazine named him one of the most creative spiritual leaders in the United States.

Books and Writings

• La Morenita: Evangelizer of the Americas (1981)
• Galilean Journey: The Mexican-American Promise (1983)
• Virgin and Mother: Biblical Reflections on Mary of Nazareth (1983)
• Christianity and Culture: An Introduction to Pastoral Theology and Ministry for the Bi-cultural Community
• The Future is Mestizo: Life Where Cultures Meet (1988)
• 'Mestizaje as a Locus of Theological Reflection' in Frontiers of Hispanic Theology in the United States, Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., ed. (1992)
• Our Lady of Guadalupe: Faith and Empowerment among Mexican-American Women by Jeanette Rodriguez, Foreword by Virgilio Elizondo (1994)
• Guadalupe: Mother of the New Creation (1997)
• San Fernando Cathedral: Soul of the City (with Timothy M. Matovina) (1998)
• A Retreat With Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego: Heeding the Call (1998)
• Mestizo Worship: A Pastoral Approach to Liturgical Ministry (with Timothy M. Matovina) (1998)
• Beyond Borders: Writings of Virgilio Elizondo and Friends (with Gustavo Gutierrez), Timothy Matovina, ed. (2000)
• Mestizo Democracy: The Politics of Crossing Borders by John Francis Burke, Foreword by Virgilio Elizondo (2002)
• A God of Incredible Surprises: Jesus of Galilee (2003)
• Charity (2008)
• Virgilio Elizondo: Spiritual Writings (2010)