Local priest invited to join pope’s Mass at Basilica

Saturday night Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City and one El Paso priest has been selected to be part of the service.

The Rev. Fabian Marquez is the pastor at El Buen Pastor Catholic Church.

“Oh my goodness it was amazing. I got the call this week on Thursday,” Marquez said.

The call was an invite for Marquez to participate in Saturday’s papal Mass.

“I feel very humbled and so blessed,” said Marquez.

In 2013 ABC-7 aired a story on Marquez. He was considered a late-in-life priest,
part of a pattern seen in the Catholic church at the time in which men heard God’s call after pursuing another career first.

“You can’t fathom that it’s actually happening to you but after much prayer and discerning I realized that’s what God really wanted,” Marquez told ABC-7 in 2013.

Marquez was ordained in 2004 and now at the age of 47 he is guiding the congregation at El Pastor Bueno Church.

Parishioners held a prayer group Friday night.

“Oh I’m so happy,” Angela Acosta said.

Acosta, who has attended the church for about 30 years, says she’s proud Marquez will be at the Mass in Mexico City.

“He will pray for us,” Acosta said.

“I take with me El Paso. I’m representing our city our parishioners, the faithful and I think that’s the most joy I get out of this,” Marquez said.

And when Marquez was asked if he would be meeting the pope, he replied, “I hope and pray that that will be something that will happen to me. If not I’ll just jump in front of him so I can meet him and greet him.”

Organizers of the event selected the priest to go.

Marquez will be visiting the station on the day of the pope’s visit Ciudad Juarez and he will be talking to ABC-7 about his trip to the Basilica.