As the new leader of local Catholics, Rev. Rudy Ruiz wants to be
used as a bridge in the community.
Ruiz recently gushed with excitement about taking over two weeks
ago as pastor, or head priest, of Sacred Heart
–St. Benedict parish.
As the new leader of local Catholics, Rev. Rudy Ruiz wants to be used as a bridge in the community.
Ruiz recently gushed with excitement about taking over two weeks ago as pastor, or head priest, of Sacred Heart–St. Benedict parish.
It is a group of people, he said, while beaming with spiritual energy, that seems somewhat distanced by divergent lifestyles, ethnicities and languages. One of his goals is to bring the parishioners closer, “to unite them.”
“There’s English, there’s Spanish, there’s Italian, there’s Portuguese, there’s Filipino,” Ruiz said. “There’s all these languages. But there’s another language that’s stronger than all these, and that’s the language of love and respect.”
Sacred Heart, the only Catholic parish in Hollister, is made up of nearly 5,000 residents – about 60 percent of whom are Hispanic, according to Ruiz.
“(Church-goers) want to see what group (I’m) going to lean toward,” Ruiz said. “Is he going to love the poor and hate the rich? Is he going to love Hispanics and maybe ignore the English-speaking? So they’re observing me, checking me out.”
Ruiz took over for Rev. Richard Clark, who was pastor of Sacred Heart for the past three years. Clark, currently on retreat overseas until mid-October, is now the pastor at Immaculate Conception in Tres Pinos.
Ruiz, 53, has been a priest in places such as Nipomo, Watsonville, Monterey and most recently Castroville at Our Lady of Refuge.
Within the Monterey Diocese – a regional association of about 50 churches – priests are required to periodically transfer parishes. As pastors generally stay at one place for up to 12 years, Ruiz hopes to remain at Sacred Heart long enough to retire afterward.
During his first Sunday mass, which was Sept. 21, Ruiz said he wasn’t nervous. The situation inspired him, and he sensed an immediate chemistry with the people. From them, he said, he discerned an enthusiasm.
“This town needs someone with a lot of energy and I’ve got a lot of energy.”
Ruiz, born in Fresno a first generation Mexican-American, isn’t brand new to San Benito County. As a boy, the son of Mexican migrant farm workers, he spent several months each year during the apricot and pear harvests living in Hollister, oftentimes in barns, he said.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from California State University, Fresno. But at the age of 25, while seeking a job in that field, he suddenly envisioned an altered course for his life.
Ruiz wanted to become a priest, so he attended St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park and earned a master’s degree in divinity.
“After you experience the American dream of getting a job and making money, after awhile it gets sort of old,” said Ruiz, who added that he thought at the time, “There’s got to be more than this to make life meaningful.”
Since, he has gained a quarter century of priesthood experience and developed his vivacious style at the altar.
Being new to Hollister, he said, his most formidable challenge will be demonstrating his credibility to the people of his new parish.
“I could speak pretty words and get everybody riled up, and that would be nice and dandy,” he said. “But the way you’re going to prove credibility is by your actions, your deeds, the way you service and how you are during times of crises, times of stress.”
He also further elaborated on diversity issues, including a wide divergence in lifestyles among Caucasians within the parish – in particular, long-established residents and newcomers, many from Silicon Valley.
“It makes for a really interesting combination. And I like the challenge of – how is it all going to come together?”
Aside from daily masses throughout the week, which alternate between English- and Spanish-speaking, Ruiz will also maintain a presence at Sacred Heart School: “As a spiritual guide,” he said, and to instill a “sense of religion.”
Regardless of any challenges to starting the job, it doesn’t take much to get Ruiz fired up about his new post in Hollister.
Furthermore, he looks forward, he said, to building relationships with civil and religious leaders in the community.
“I’m talking about the Mormons, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Baptists, and the Methodists, and the Buddhists and the Muslims,” he said. “If you really want to build a strong community, you can’t be exclusive.”
