Clergy
Rev. Vincent Mesi, OFM
Pastor
Fr. Vince is a native of San Jose, California. His family background is Sicilian with his grandparents coming from Sicily in the early 1900s. He attended schools in San Jose until he graduated in 1967 from San Luis Rey College, which at that time, was here on the grounds of Mission San Luis Rey! After graduation, Fr. Vince entered the Franciscan Novitiate at
Mission San Miguel and then after his first vows, he entered the Franciscan School of Theology for his theological studies and ordination to the priesthood on October 28, 1972. Over these years since ordination, Fr. Vince has worked in a number of parishes as pastor, including Mission Santa Barbara and St. Mary’s Basilica in Phoenix. For a brief time, he has also been involved in the retreat ministry at San Damiano Retreat in Danville, California. Most recently, Fr. Vince has been Guardian and Director of Formation at St. Elizabeth’s Friary in Oakland, which is the provincial headquarters for the Franciscans of the St. Barbara Province.
With the election of Fr. David as Provincial of the St. Barbara Province in 2016, Fr. Vince was assigned as the pastor here at Mission San Luis Rey Parish. He has brought a number of gifts to this parish but most especially his deep love for the Liturgy and liturgical music.
Rev. Oscar Mendez, OFM
Associate Pastor
Fr. Oscar is native of El Salvador, Central America. He came to the U.S.A. in 1972, and graduated from San Francisco State University in 1977, with a B.A. in cell biology. He entered the Franciscans, while living in San Francisco in 1982, and studied at F.S.T. (Franciscan School of Theology) in Berkeley. He was ordained to the priesthood on Dec 16, 1989. His first assignment was as a parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua church in San Francisco. He went back to his country to study medicine and graduated in 2000. He practiced medicine for several years. He has been a pastor in St. Anthony’s church in San Francisco, and St. Elizabeth’s church in Oakland. He served as vocations director for 3 years with the Franciscans and came to Mission San Luis Rey parish last April 2018.
Faith Formation
Bro. Javier “Tito” Garcia, OFM, MDiv
Director of Faith Formation
Bro. Javier "Tito" Garcia Marquez was born in San Juan de Los Lagos, Jalisco in Mexico. He is the 9th child of Teresa Marquez and Jose de Jesus Garcia, a farmworker. His parents are immigrants, originally from the highlands of the state of Jalisco. He had eighteen brothers and sisters (thirteen alive). Bro. Tito was educated in Mexico and the United States in both Catholic and public schools. He graduated from the Franciscan School of Theology, receiving a Masters of Divinity. He is happy to start working for Father Vince and all the people at this parish. He loves to makes greetings cards and donate them and loves to collect canceled postage stamps. Please remember him when you see them. Please stop and introduce to him so he can start knowing each one of you. He loves to watch movies, eat, and travel. He loves to visit old buildings and castles. Please keep him in your prayers.
Liturgy and Music
Kerey Quaid
Music DirectorKerey Quaid was born and raised in Fremont, California. He studied Creative Arts and music at San Jose State University. He has been a music minister since 1982, and that has been his vocation for twenty-five years. The organ is his fourth instrument (after piano, block flute, and percussion) but he is always happy to play the organ when it is the best instrument for the song at hand, or for the mood desired in the liturgy. Kerey has an MTS from the Franciscan School of Theology. He and his wife, Randi, moved to Oceanside four years ago.
Emma Whitten
Associate Music Director
Born in Oak Ridge, TN, Dr. Emma Whitten is an accomplished organist and church musician specializing in early Baroque and contemporary organ repertoire. Emma recently moved to Oceanside from Phoenix, Arizona, where she lived for five years. She has studied at the University of Notre Dame, University of Kansas, and Arizona State University, where she received her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Organ Performance in 2014. Emma has studied and performed on historic organs in Germany, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In addition to music, she loves to hike, watch tennis, and solve cryptic crosswords. She has two older sisters, and her parents live in east Tennessee – her mother is a botanical gardener, and her father is a physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For more information about Emma, or to sign up for news updates about her organ performances, please visit her website at www.emmawhitten.com.
Social Outreach
Angel Ibarra
Director of Social Outreach and Advocacy
Angel will be responsible for continuing the good work that has been done and developing programs for the poor and disenfranchised that the whole community can be involved with. In addition, he will work with the Parish community to determine which advocacy issues to focus on.
Angel is a graduate of The Catholic University of America where he studied politics. Later, he went on to become a teacher in Philadelphia Catholic schools for several years. He recently moved to the San Diego area to pursue his master’s degree in Peace and Justice from the University of San Diego. Most recently, he worked at USD’s Trans-Border Institute where he helped facilitate and develop partnerships between various grassroot organizations working toward positive peace along the U.S. and Mexico border.
Administrative Services
Gwyn Grimes
Parish Administrator
I’m originally from Ohio but moved to California with my family after high school graduation. I have a degree in Accounting from Chapman University. My background had been working in the medical manufacturing field, but after volunteering for several non-profit organizations I realized that working at a non-profit was what I really wanted to do. I’ve been working at the Mission for the past eight years as the Director of Finance. I’ve lived in Oceanside for about 20 years where my husband and I raised our two children. They’re now grown and planning a wedding and graduating from University. I love to read, go to the movies, hike, play board games, and card games and bake.
Don Chadwick
Facilities Manager
Don Chadwick was born in Kansas, raised in Minnesota and attended middle school, high school and college in California. Don graduated from California State University Northridge with a Psychology degree and has spent most of his working career in Student Affairs and facility work at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. During his 37 year career in Higher Education, he managed Student Union facilities, performance, and sports venues, oversaw construction and renovation projects and directed cultural arts and recreation programs. In his spare time, Don enjoys traveling, flying airplanes and hiking. Two years ago Don completed the Camino Francés (the French route) of the Camino de Santiago. Don is happily married with four grown children. He is learning to speak Lithuanian.
Shirley González
Pastoral Associate
Shirley González serves as Pastoral Associate, sharing responsibility for the daily pastoral care of the faithful. Shirley’s competence and compassion find expression in a wide range of service to Mission San Luis Rey Parish. From Baptisms to Funerals or Weddings, and many years of service in parish administration, Shirley supports the priests and staff to work creatively and cooperatively in a lively, faith-filled community. Shirley is happily married with two beautiful children.
Elizabeth Rose
Bookkeeper
Elizabeth has worked in the field of accounting for over 25 years and has been the bookkeeper for Mission San Luis Rey since March of 2013. She grew up in Hemet, CA and graduated from San Diego State University with a BS in Business Management. After spending some years living in Montana, Massachusetts, and Georgia, she settled in Oceanside in 2001. Elizabeth and her two children have been parishioners of MSLRP since 2007. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, concerts and traveling.
Karen Willson
Director of IT/Communications
Karen Willson is the Director of IT and Communications for Mission San Luis Rey Parish. Her background includes Computer Science teacher for six years, magazine editor, writer, producer, production manager and public relations manager for a wide range of projects for children and adults: drama, educational and online multimedia, special effects, and live shows. With her husband and writing partner, Chris Weber, Karen has written more than 50 produced children's television shows for companies such as CBS, Disney, Warner Brothers, Filmation, TMS and many more.