Rev. Msgr. Francis V. Cilia
PASTOR
FRANCIS.CILIA@DSJ.ORG
I was born in San Francisco on the last day of 1952, and raised in San Bruno, the first of the twelve children of my parents, Vince and Carmel, who now happily live in Kona, Hawaii.
After attending Saint Robert School in San Bruno and twelve years of seminary training (Saint Joseph/Saint Patrick in Mountain View and Saint Patrick in Menlo Park), I was ordained for the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1979. At that time, I was assigned to Saint Elizabeth Parish in Milpitas and then to Saint Joseph Parish in Mountain View. In 1989, I became pastor of Saint Mary Parish in Gilroy, moving to Holy Family Parish in San Jose in 1995. From 1998 through June, 2019, I served Bishops DuMaine, McGrath and Cantú as Vicar for Clergy and Vicar General. Bishop Cantú granted me a sabbatical, which ends the day I arrive at Saint Clare.
I am most grateful to Bishop Cantú and the Clergy Personnel Board for appointing me to Saint Clare. Although I am 67, I feel relatively young in comparison with the nearly 250 years that the parish will celebrate before the end of this decade. I look forward, God willing, to be able to work with you to prepare for that milestone achievement.
As I waited to learn where I would be appointed, a priest jokingly commented to me that, given my history, I would likely be assigned to some ‘plum parish.’ Well, considering my appointment to Saint Clare, I believe that priest is a true prophet! I am so pleased to be among you, to serve you, to help build up our parish and school communities, and to face with you whatever challenges will define our post-pandemic world and Church. As I write this, I do not know when we will be able to meet each other face-to-face. I hope I will soon be more to you than a small dot on your computer screen or TV.
I am also grateful for the appointment of Father Jonathan Cuarto as a co-worker with all of us in the years ahead. I have known Jonathan since his days in the seminary and I know he brings many gifts – and a great sense of humor – to our work.
Thank you for being part of Saint Clare. Please pray with me that the Lord, through the intercession of Saint Clare, will bless us and guide us so that we will walk together – along whichever path He sets before us.
May God bless you and your families and loved ones. And, in the words of my beloved Star Trek, may all of you “live long and prosper” in the vineyard of the Lord!