Pastoral Staff
Fr. Anthony E. Mcguire
I am Fr. Anthony E. McGuire, (aka Tony), pastor. Being a pastor is a ministry I am very happy to engage in. I was ordained in 1965, the year the great pastoral council Vatican II ended. The pastoral emphasis of that council has framed my 40 years of priesthood; namely, its concern with Liturgy, the expanded role for the Laity, the Church's engagement with the world, ecumenism.When I grew up as a child in an Irish Catholic enclave in San Francisco, the Church was very different, very alive and familial, with great devotions and tight-knit ethnic communities, but somewhat enclosed on itself. After my first assignment in St. Gregory's parish in San Mateo, the rest of my time as a priest has been serving and learning what it means to be a priest from different ethnic communities: the Mexican American community of San Jose, the Central American communities of San Francisco. I served as Secretary of Ethnic and Cultural Affairs for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Director of Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington DC, with a short break as a Maryknoll Associate in Hong Kong.
I came to St. Matthew's parish on February 1,2004. I am happy to be here. It is a big, multi-ethnic parish, constantly challenging me to be a better brother, and to help build a family of brothers and sisters of many different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Formation in the likeness of Christ is a big challenge in St Matthew's Parish, to adults in various educational and devotional programs and to children through St. Matthew's School and the religious education programs in English and Spanish. Works of charity and justice for the poor of our area are a constant demand.
I like best of all celebrating Mass in different languages with all representatives of the community present and active. I also like to swim and go to movies and to travel. If I am not here, I might be doing one of those three things.
.
