Rev. Rudy A. Vela, Jr. died on September 29, 2020 at the age of 68 with 48 years of religious life in the Society of Mary.  He was born in San Antonio, Texas on January 9, 1952.

He was baptized in Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and confirmed in St. Gabriel Parish, and attended Stafford Elementary School and Escobar Junior High where he received a scholarship to attend Central Catholic High School.  While at Central, he was an active member of the student's singing group "His Brothers Children" which performed and entertained various events as well as tourists along the Riverwalk.  In his senior year he served as Drum Major for the Central Catholic band and graduated in the Class of 1971.

Following high school, Fr. Rudy entered the Society of Mary in 1971 as a novice and made his first vows in 1972 in Galesville, Wisconsin.  He took perpetual vows in 1977 in San Antonio, Texas.   After attending seminary in Toronto, Canada, he was ordained on June 2, 1984 in San Antonio by the late Archbishop Patricio Flores.

Fr. Rudy attended St. Mary's University and received his B.A. in 1976 with a major in Spanish and a minor in Music Education. From then on, he taught in Don Bosco High School in Milwaukee and then in 1978 he served as Director of Recruitment and Vocation Ministry for the Marianist Province of Peru in Lima.

Continuing his higher education, he received a Masters of Divinity from the University of Toronto, Canada in 1984 and a MSA degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1992.  He received is D.Min. from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois in May, 2003.

During his years of priestly ministry he served the as the program director for the Mexican American Cultural Center, parochial vicar of St. Mary Assumption Parish in Fort Worth and pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in San Antonio.    Fr. Rudy had a deep commitment to the Hispanic community in the Catholic Church.

Fr. Rudy served the wider Church by his membership on numerous boards, including the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops' Commission on Certification and Accreditation and the U.S. Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians.

Most recently, he was an Assistant Professor of Theology at St. Mary's University.  From 2009-2015 he served as the Vice-President for Mission and Rector.  In that position, he was responsible for overseeing the Office of University Ministry and the Marianist Educational Associates (MEAs). Under his leadership as Vice-President he also provided for the renovation of the University's Assumption Chapel.  He established the annual celebration honoring the founder of the Marianists, Blessed William Joseph Chaminade.  He was the Director of the Study Abroad Program in Spain at the Universidad de Alcalá.  His contributions as an administrator and faculty member were integral in advancing St. Mary's mission and identity.  As a Vice-President, he served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Dayton.

He was preceded in death by his parents Rudy and Marianna (Almanza) Vela and his oldest brother, Raymundo, as well as his nephew, Alexander Soliz.

He is survived by his sister Charlotte A. (Vela) Soria and brother-in-law, Eduardo Soria.  He is also survived by his niece Amanda Soliz and nephews Andrew Joseph Soliz and Armando Rudy Soliz, as well as his grand nephew Caleb Alexander Garcia and grand nieces, Aubrey Mariana Gutierrez and Alexis Vallas.  In addition, he has numerous cousins of the Almanza Family in Chicago, many cousins of the Vela Family in San Antonio, and grand nephews and nieces of the Soria Family in Austin, Texas.

FUNERAL SERVICES

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

4:00 PM          Visitation

7:00 PM          Rosary

Holy Rosary Catholic Church

159 Camino Santa Maria

San Antonio, TX 78228

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

3:00 PM    Visitation

4:00 PM  Mass of Christian Burial

followed by interment in the Marianist Cemetery

Holy Rosary Catholic Church

159 Camino Santa Maria

San Antonio, TX 78228

Due to the coronavirus – there is limited seating and face masks will be required.

go to the Holy Rosary Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/holyrosarysa

https://www.marianist.com/livestream/ for the livestream link to the Rosary Service and the Mass

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the "Fr. Rudy Vela Scholarship Fund" addressed to St. Mary's University c/o Advancement, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228.