New priest in diocese to minister in Logan: Father Robin Cruz arrived in Utah on March 4

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Fr. Robin Cruz

SALT LAKE CITY— Two weeks ago, Father Robin Cruz arrived in Utah to begin his ministry in the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Born and raised in the Philippines, Fr. Cruz felt a call to the priesthood since he was a boy, feeling struck by priestly vestments every time he saw them.

“Something about their vestments was very special,” he said. “I always thought to myself, ‘I want to be one.’ Everybody expected me to be ordained as a priest, and it was through their prayer that that happened.”

His understanding of a priest “was someone that was always praying, and I always was like that, too,” he said. “I found a great balance between prayer time, community time, mingling with the other fathers and studying.”

His most cherished moment in all his 17 years as a priest is that of his ordination, which occurred on Dec. 1, 2003.

“The time of my ordination was so precious to me; after the ordination Mass I still couldn’t believe it, that I was already a priest,” he said. “When I started ministering it hit me, ‘I am a priest.’”

After almost 20 years serving in the Philippines, Fr. Cruz decided to seek new horizons. He contacted priests in this diocese to see about getting an invitation to minister here. He applied in February 2020, and finally arrived in Utah on March 4 of this year, said Father Ken Vialpando, diocesan Vicar for Clergy.

In the face of the pandemic and legal paperwork, “Fr. Cruz was willing to cross every river and to climb every mountain in order to arrive in Utah so that he could become a member of our presbyterate and to serve the people in our diocese,” said Fr. Vialpando, adding that the ambition that Fr. Cruz exemplified during the two years of his application process “speaks volumes about the strength of his priesthood and about the conviction he has within his soul to be a true servant of the Lord and a minister to the people. In the last few days that he has been in our diocese, he has already proven to parishioners and to those around him that he is not here ‘to be served, but to serve.’”

 Fr. Cruz has ministerial experience as a school chaplain, parochial vicar and pastor.

“Because of his youthful appearance, great health, energy and ambition, he has what it takes to minister to the children, youth, young adults, middle-agers and elderly,” Fr. Vialpando said.

Fr. Cruz comes from a family of six siblings. He has a brother who lives in California, and he has visited the United States before.

In addition, “Both of my parents are still alive and kicking,” he said adding that “they are eating lots and lots of sweets,” showing his sense of humor.

During his first few weeks in the diocese, Fr. Cruz will serve at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. Beginning in April, he will be temporarily assigned to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish in Logan, where he will serve as parochial vicar.

“People are very warm and welcoming; they have approached me after Mass and talked to me,” he said about his time at the cathedral. “I try to introduce myself at every Mass and talk to them.”

Fr. Cruz speaks Tagalog, English and some Spanish.

“In my English there is still a lot of opportunity for me to learn, and in Spanish I am trying to learn more, I just speak poquito y lento (a little bit and slowly),” he said.

He is excited to be in Utah and is looking forward to getting to St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, he said. “I want to walk this journey of spirituality with them. I hope that we can journey together closer to Christ.”