Page 8 - Reedley Exponent 4-26-18 E-edition

ESQUIVEL Continued from page A3
thedral — before taking a new assignment in Delano.
“I’d always talked of see- ing ‘headquarters,’” Esquivel said of the Vatican.
The high point: Meeting Pope John Paul II after a papal address. It was an unexpected thrill that Esquivel believes then-Bishop (now Cardinal) Roger Mahony arranged.
”The pope said ‘thank you for becoming a priest, and I hope you do a good job in Delano,’” Esquivel recalled. His reply: “I’ll do my best.” He was surprised — and im- pressed — that the pope knew of his next assignment.
Serving in Delano was like walking a “tightrope,” Es- quivel said: “The farmworker issue was still a big deal. It dominated everything while I was there.”
Esquivel said he steered away from the struggle be- tween growers and the United Farm Workers. “I was happy to go to any meeting if people were asking me to pray,” he said. “But I told people: ‘If you’re asking me for a politi- cal opinion, I’m not showing
up.’R”eflecting on that ap- proach to ministry, Esquivel said: “I know some priests get political. But I’m not one of them.”
Assignments in Bakers- field and Selma followed Delano, and then Esquivel re- turned to St. John’s. The bish- op needed someone to lead the cathedral through a res- toration. That project was al- most complete when Esquivel was sent to Reedley after the death of Monsignor Francis Tasy, the longtime priest at St. Anthony’s.
The late Bishop John Steinbock charged Esquivel with building a new, larger sanctuary. “You get things done,” Esquivel said the bish- op told him.
Five years followed in which Esquivel led efforts to find land, secure financing and oversee construction of new St. Anthony on Frankwood Av- enue. “Very intense,” he said of the process. The new church opened in 2012. (Some events continue at old St. Anthony at 11th and F streets.)
ABOVE: This photo shows then-Rev. John Esquivel clasping hands with Pope John Paul II on Dec. 17, 1980 during a Papal Audience in Vatican City.
Photo Contributed
LEFT: Monsignor John Esquivel has spent the last 11 years of his half-century of ministry leading St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. “I feel if I’m not helping the parish, it’s time to get out of the way,” he said. “But people tell me I’m still helping, and I believe them.”
BODY
Continued from page A1
ment setup in the back. “We are requesting the public’s help on any infor- mation,” he said. “Any- thing that can help us un- derstand more about this
death.”
Detectives arrived at
the scene shortly after DeLaCruz was pulled from the pool and investigated the area around the pool. An autopsy was performed the same day.
Aleman said there were no visible marks on DeLaCruz’s body to indi- cate foul play or a trau- matic injury.
“Sometimes, it’s suspi- cious because there are clues and sometimes it’s suspicious because we just don’t know,” he said. “Because of his age, and nobody verifying how he ended up in the swim- ming pool, it raises ques- tions.”
Aleman said DeLa- Cruz’s estranged wife had been notified of his death. He said the people that live at the house are friends with the couple and had notified her.
“We need the help of the good citizens of Reed- ley to report anything they might have seen, heard or overheard that might help us in this in- vestigation,” Aleman said.
Anyone with informa- tion is asked to contact the Reedley Police Depart- ment at 637-4250. Anony- mous tips can be submit- ted by text message by texting TIPRPD and typ- ing in 847411.
THEFT Continued from page A3
A Ford F-250 truck was missing and the window of a 2003 Ford Expedition SUV was broken, accord- ing to Cates.
The truck later was found damaged and stripped in the Fresno area.
The Reedley Exponent A8 Thursday, April 26, 2018
Stay true to what God is calling you to. You can’t be worrying about what other people are saying. It also means you have to spend more time in private prayer and reflection.
aging new church groups, showing “tremendous love” for youth, and getting the new church built quickly.
Esquivel said another milestone of his time in Reed- ley is the vitality of St. La Salle Catholic School, and he prais- es the leadership of Sister Lucy Cassarino, the school’s principal. Enrollment is 300 — an impressive number in a city of 25,000, Esquivel said.
Cassarino helped organize the events on Friday and Sat- urday so many people could join in Esquivel’s celebration. She said she’s thankful for his faithfulness, adding: “He will do anything to help people grow spiritually.”
Meanwhile, Esquivel has reached an age when many people have left full-time work. When asked if he would like to retire, he said the shortage of priests is a factor he must con-
Doug Hoagland / For The Exponent
sider. Moreover, he said, “I feel if I’m not helping the parish, it’s time to get out of the way. But people tell me I’m still helping, and I believe them.”
To relax from the de- mands of his work, Esquivel enjoys going to the movies. He liked “Finding Nemo” and the historical drama “Dunkirk.” When younger, he enjoyed golf, but, he said with a smile, “The body doesn’t cooperate anymore.”
With all he’s experienced in the last 50 years — and all he’s learned since the older priest warned him about a changing church — Esquivel is both realistic and hopeful. Asked what he would say to- day to a new priest, Esquivel smiled and said: “Welcome aboard. Good to have you with us.”
Doug Hoagland is the for- mer editor of The Exponent.
Overseeing construction of new St. Anthony illustrates one of the biggest challenges of the priesthood. “The church asks us to be all things. You have to be a financial wizard and a fundraiser, and you have to know how to fix the plumb- ing and how to be an organiz- er,” Esquivel said.
He counts being with peo- ple his greatest joy. Baptisms. Anointing the sick. Comfort- ing people as they prepare for death.
“He is truly a pastor,” said Christopher Tasy, a parishio- ner at St. Anthony’s and the nephew of Monsignor Tasy.
— Monsignor John Esquivel
Esquivel’s “orthodox faith, wise leadership, and ministe- rial nature have been a bless- ing both for St. Anthony’s and the Diocese of Fresno,” Tasy said.
Another parishioner, Cher- yl Vitali, said of Esquivel: “If you have a personal need or concern, he is a tremendous blessing and able to encourage on family matters in ways that are truly remarkable.”
Her husband, Tom Vitali, calls Esquivel “a modest man” whose favorite expression is “Thanks be to God.” Vitali said Esquivel’s accomplishments in Reedley are many: encour-
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