Pastor Assignments: Father Marco Tulio Lopez Perez

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On Aug. 1, 13 priests in the Diocese of Salt Lake City will begin their assignments as pastor or administrator of a new parish. This is the second in the series to introduce them to their new parishioners. The first installment was published in the July 4 Intermountain Catholic; the final installment will be published in the Aug. 1 issue.

Father Marco Tulio Lopez Perez was born in San Vincente, El Salvador. He attended Seminario Pio XII for a year in his home country before going to Seminario Mayor Nuestra Señora del Camino in Guatemala for four years. 

He was ordained a priest on Dec. 20, 1997 by the Most Rev. Jose Oscar Barahona, Bishop of San Vicente, El Salvador.  He served as associate pastor in his home diocese before coming to the United States, where he ministered in Tyler, Texas for four years before moving to Utah in 2006.

His first assignment in the Diocese of Salt Lake City was as parochial vicar of Saint Mary of the Assumption Parish in Park City. He then served as administrator of San Felipe Parish in Wendover, followed by six years in that position at Saint Andrew Parish in Riverton. 

In 2022, he was incardinated into the diocese and was assigned as pastor of Saint Bridget Parish in Milford and its affiliated missions: Saint John Bosco in Delta, Holy Family in Fillmore and Our Lady of Light in Beaver. On Aug. 1 he will begin his new assignment as pastor of Notre Dame de Lourdes Parish in Price.

In addition to his parish responsibilities, Fr. Marco, as he prefers to be called, also serves as a member of the ecclesial team for Region XIV of Worldwide Marriage Encounter. He holds a master’s degree in pastoral theology and serves as director of the online Theological Institute El Camino.

After serving in Riverton for six years, he asked to be assigned to a rural community, and ministering to the four communities in central Utah “has been such a meaningful and enriching experience that these five years have felt like just six months,” he said.

They began their shared faith journey just as the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and “despite the challenges, our mission as a parish never came to a halt,” he said, adding that they have accomplished much together over the past five years.

Speaking to that community, he said it is now time “to take the next step in your journey of ecclesial growth by welcoming Fr. Victor Alvarado [the new administrator] with open arms, hearts and minds. He is a young, joyful, smart priest with great pastoral creativity. I encourage you to continue working with him as faithfully as you have with me. Let the spirit of unity among our four communities remain strong, and may you always give your best in building the Kingdom of God in this great parish of St. Bridget’s.”

To his new congregation at Notre Dame de Lourdes, Fr. Marco said priests come and go in every parish, and “each change of pastor offers a valuable opportunity to reflect on our journey of faith as a Christian community: What have we accomplished? What are we doing now? What more do we hope to do? And most importantly, what is my personal commitment to helping bring the vision I have for my parish to life?”

At Notre Dame, he is honored to follow in the footsteps of Fr. Arokia Dass David – “a priest of deep faith and a passionate heart for the Kingdom of God and his Church” –  and “with God’s help and the support  of this wonderful community, we will continue walking the path that has guided this parish for over a hundred years,” Fr. Marco said.