An instrument of service
NTC/Juan Guajardo
HE IS: Father Rubén Tena Guzmán, parochial vicar of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Fort Worth.
A BRIGHT LIGHT: The eldest of five, Fr. Tena Guzmán grew up in Copándaro de Galeana in Michoacán, Mexico.
When he was 12 and an altar server, a new priest arrived in his hometown parish and began to “revolutionize” a previously “lifeless parish.”
“I wish I was like that,” he recalled, thinking of the 70-year-old priest.
TRIAL AND ERROR: Fr. Tena Guzmán moved to his father’s native California at about 20. Although his primary obligation was work, he also felt a pull to prioritize attending Mass and pursuing a rich life of faith.
He shared his desire to become a priest with a parish pastor, who encouraged him to undergo a period of discernment and participate in parish youth group.
After relocating, he met with the pastor of his new parish, who providentially was the vocations director for the Confraternidad Sacerdotal de los Operarios del Reino de Cristo (Fellowship of the Laborers of the Kingdom of Christ).
After some time, Fr. Tena Guzmán visited the CORC seminary in Querétaro, Mexico. At 27, he felt far older than many seminarians. However, to his happy surprise, the seminary accepted him.
A CHARISM TO WORK: The example of priests in his order taught him the value of humility and a willingness to undertake any necessary task, “whether it was to pick up a broom, learn to cook, or find a way to change a fixture in the parish hall.”
ORDAINED: September 12, 2020, at the CORC seminary in Querétaro, Mexico.
FAMILY MAN: After he was ordained, Fr. Tena Guzmán served in Oklahoma. Almost a year later, he was assigned to serve alongside Father Oscar Olvera in Fort Worth.
Upon receiving the news, the young priest felt overjoyed because his parents and siblings had since relocated to the DFW Metroplex.
Fr. Tena Guzmán now drives his mother to her work each day before morning Mass and had the opportunity to be with his father before his recent passing.
“When you trust in God, when you have certainty, the assurance, that you did what you should have done — of course it's sad, it's painful, but at the same time, it's very beautiful,” Fr. Tena Guzmán reflected.
TO SERVE OTHERS: Fr. Tena Guzmán defines his vocation as a commitment to serving others.
“It is truly putting yourself at the service of others, knowing how to listen, knowing how to advise. ...
"What does it mean to be a priest, if not to truly place yourself at the service of others, to know how to listen, to know how to advise, and, ultimately, to understand? This is what I wanted, this is part of my answer: being a priest is being an instrument, which is sometimes tiring, but in the end, it's part of your vocation. Not a vocation of comfort, but of service.”
EVERY DAY COUNTS: “Not everything is rose-colored in the life of a priest. Our goals reset every day.”
OPEN DOORS: No matter how busy parish life can be, helping people receive the sacraments is of utmost importance.
“Those of us who can help, we have to be open. Because that's what Pope Francis says, right? The Church has to be a house with open doors.”