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A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Father Roque Meraz

A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Father Roque Meraz

Father Roque Meraz may be the next TikTok star we never saw coming. The associate pastor at St. Paul Catholic Church uses art, like the humorous religion-based videos on his Instagram, and joy to spread a message of love to the community.

Faith and family formed Meraz’s path to the priesthood. While religious faith wasn’t a constant conversation, it was sprinkled throughout the home for Meraz and his six siblings in Mexico. Thanking God daily, going to mass, praying the rosary as a family and trusting in God’s greater plan were normal activities. Meraz’s commitment to God was largely influenced by his parents’ loving marriage and faithfulness to each other.

Despite the quiet presence of religion in everyday life, Meraz’s family was surprised, and eventually supportive, when they learned of his decision to become a priest. The choice would make him the only one in three generations to choose religious life or priesthood on both sides of his family. 

“Being married to someone, spending the rest of your life with someone, having a family — that is happiness for them,” Meraz said. “The more I talked to them about it though, the more they understood that my calling was different.”

After studying in Minnesota, Mexico City and Toronto, Meraz finally found a religious home to practice within Northwest Indiana. The Diocese of Gary sponsored him while he was studying and will always provide for him. Meraz in turn will always belong to the diocese.

Meraz took time during the COVID-19 pandemic to administer in Mexico. Less than two years later, he was called back to the diocese to continue his ministry there because the need for Spanish-speaking priests in the area was being addressed. His placement at St. Paul upon his return was a gain to the large Hispanic community.

In his time as an associate pastor at St. Paul over the past 3 years, Meraz has helped form Bible studies and formation programs for the Hispanic community. Meraz also assisted the diocese in encouraging the men in formation to study Spanish and travel to Spanish-speaking countries to engage in the culture.

“In the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in people who are moving from different countries and who do not speak English that are looking for places to worship,” Meraz said. “A place that knows their spirituality, the way they grew up, their language, their customs – I think it's very important to have someone that you can connect with, not only in the spiritual sense but in terms of culture.”

No day is the same for Meraz. As an associate pastor at St. Paul, he celebrates mass, visits the sick, meets with couples preparing for marriage, participates in various committees and helps with the formation of parishioners. The connected elementary school is a place where he can both assist and brighten his day just by interacting with the smiling students who are excited to share what they’ve learned.

The school is an important aspect of the St. Paul community because it offers formation and a Catholic education to future generations. Strengthening faith and connecting with Jesus is an important desire to instill in young people, according to Meraz. Joy and happiness follow next in line for they can be found in a personal relationship with Jesus.

Meraz doesn’t cut corners when it comes to his intentions and interactions with all people. He remembers encountering genuinely happy priests as a child and being told by a priest mentor that happiness comes from the heart. Meraz believes that happiness and joyfulness can be practiced and will attract people that want to relate.

“I think people know when you have a fake smile,” Meraz said. “People know when you're genuine, and my happiness comes from my relationship with Jesus. I think that makes people feel comfortable around me because I'm a happy and joyful priest who is willing to sit down with people and talk to them and listen to them.”

The retreats Meraz attends with a group of other priests allow him to deepen the connection between his personable character and his position. Even priests can get caught up with clinical work. The encouraged time off allows Meraz to pause, reflect, learn and reconnect. St. Paul also offers similar retreats for parishioners in both English and Spanish. People have the chance to come together as a community in moments of prayer, learning and reconnection.

No matter who someone is or where they come from, Meraz encourages everyone to be joyful and spread that joy beyond themselves. Connection, not only with God but also with other people, is essential in spiritual growth and accountability.

“I will encourage people to find a community — a church community, a faith community — that they can connect with and find those good friendships that bring them closer to Jesus,” Meraz said. “Our journey in this life cannot be alone. We have people. We have Jesus who walks with us, present in those people as well. There are always opportunities for us to connect with someone so that we are not isolated and alone.”