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Father Victor Perez Honoring #HeroPriests

Father Victor Perez | St. Joseph and St. Stephen Catholic Churches, Houston, TX

Submitted by: Joe Montalbano

As soon as the "stay-at-home" orders were issued, Fr. Victor continued providing daily Mass for those whose jobs were deemed "essential," thus allowing us access to Holy Mass and the Sacrament of Penance, all with proper protocols of masks, distancing, sanitizing, etc. When the stay-at-home orders were lifted, Father continued offering daily Mass in his parish, located near downtown, a spiritual oasis for those working or living nearby. Some who attended Mass did so because other parishes in the area were not accessible due to the pandemic. During the time of sacramental deprivation, Fr. Victor has made sure that St. Joseph parish is a veritable lifeline for all things spiritual.

Suffice it to say that Fr. Victor has impacted my faith life on multiple levels. When I think of Fr. Victor, I think of the saying, "Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." Fr. Victor's words are certainly effective, but seeing him at prayer, his obvious love of the Holy Eucharist, the saints, and his flock, all compose a homily above and beyond mere words.

Besides my answers above, I believe Fr. Victor deserves to be recognized for this award because he personifies all that a man in Holy Orders is called to be - an "alter Christus."