FATHER TOMAS MATEOS

SAN JUAN - Fr. Tomás, after faithfully serving God for 71 years as an ordained Roman Catholic priest, died on December 12, 2016 at the Diocesan Priest’s Retirement Home. He was 96 years old. He was born October 31, 1920 to Samuel Mateos and Adela Sanchez in Sepulcro-Hilario (Salamanca), Spain. Fr. was ordained for service to the Diocese of Ciudad Rodrigo (Spain) on May 26, 1945. He served in parishes in Salamanca for 11 years, after which he accepted an invitation to serve for 5 years in the Diocese of Camaguey (Cuba). While there he was briefly imprisoned by the Cuban Communist Revolutionaries. He then returned to Spain and served in the Archdiocese of Madrid at San Bartolomé Parish for nine years. Fr. Tomás arrived in our Diocese in 1973. He was incardinated as a priest of the Diocese of Brownsville on April 12, 1979. He served at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in McAllen, Christ the King in Brownsville, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Mission, and Sacred Heart in Mercedes. He retired September 1, 1995, and continued working tirelessly for the next 21 years. He was so faithful to Our Lady of Sorrows' 5:30 daily Mass for years. He said Mass every Sunday for the residents of San Juan Nursing Home, and visited the residents of the Comfort House every Wednesday morning. He heard Confessions every Sunday morning and afternoon at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle. Fr. Tomás was an avid reader, and would ask the Basilica Gift Shop to look for theological and spiritual books that had been out of print for years. He was predeceased by his parents and siblings. He is survived by nephews and nieces in Spain. There was a viewing at Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, with a recitation of the Rosary at 7 p.m. Viewing continued at Our Lady of Sorrows Chapel at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores presided at the Mass of the Resurrection beginning at 1 p.m. His brother priests Frs. Jerry Frank, Felix Casarez, Jorge Gomez, Luis Fernando Sanchez, Juan Manuel Salazar, and Luis Roberto Tinajero served as his pallbearers. Interment followed at Palm Valley Memorial Gardens in Pharr, Texas. Funeral services were under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.