Gómez, Raúl 1953–

(Raúl Gómez-Ruiz, Raúl R. Gómez)

PERSONAL:

Born September 27, 1953, in Bisbee, AZ; son of Pablo A. (a copper miner) and Idolina (in sales) Gómez. Ethnicity: "Mexican-American." Education: University of Arizona, B.A. (with high distinction), 1976; California State University, Sacramento, M.P.A., 1983; Franciscan School of Theology, Berkeley, CA, M.Div., 1986; Catholic University of America, Ph.D., 2001; also attended St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, WI. Hobbies and other interests: Travel, physical exercise.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Hales Corners, WI. Office—Sacred Heart School of Theology, P.O. Box 429, Hales Corners, WI 53130-0429; fax 414-529-6999.

CAREER:

Ordained Roman Catholic priest; member of Brothers of the Holy Rosary, Reno, NV, 1972-73; State of California, Sacramento, vocational counselor in Employment Development Department, 1977-79, management analyst, 1979-81; associate pastor of Roman Catholic church in West Sacramento, 1986-87, 1987-88; Sacred Heart School of Theology, Hales Corners, WI, faculty member, 1988-98, associate professor, 1998-2003, professor of systematic studies, 2003—, director of Hispanic studies, 1988-2004, spiritual direction counselor, 1988-94, associate director of field education, 1993-94, vice rector of the school, 2002-05, vice president for academic affairs and director of intellectual formation, 2005—. Member of Society of the Divine Savior (Salvatorians; SDS), 1980—, vicar for Milwaukee region, 1990-91, regional moderator, 1991-93, director of initial formation, 2003-06, vicar provincial, 2006—; Archdiocese of Milwaukee, censor librorum, 2004—; minister at Milwaukee County Youth Detention Center, 1989-94, and at local Roman Catholic churches, 1988—; chaplain for medical centers and hospitals. Contact Talkline, Sacramento, crisis counselor, 1977-78; Capilla Latina, teacher of English as a second language, 1981-82; speaker at conferences, workshops, retreats, and public gatherings. Member of editorial board, Preach, 2002-06.

MEMBER:

North American Academy of Liturgy, Instituto Nacional de Liturgia Hispana (president, 1994-97), Asociación Nacional de Sacerdotes Hispanos, American Academy of Religion, Catholic Theological Society of America, Catholic Academy of Liturgy, Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (president, 2004-05), Illustre y Antiquísima Hermandad de Caballeros y Damas Mozárabes de Nuestra Señora di la Esperanza de la Imperial Ciudad de Toledo, Spain, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Delta Pi.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Vatican II Award in Liturgy, Archdiocese of Milwaukee, 1991.

WRITINGS:

(With Heliodoro Lucatero and Sylvia Sánchez) Gift and Promise: Customs and Traditions in Hispanic Rites of Marriage (bilingual in Spanish and English), Oregon Catholic Press (Portland, OR), 1997.

(Editor, with Peter Casarella) El Cuerpo de Cristo: The Hispanic Presence in the U.S. Catholic Church, Crossroad Publishing (New York, NY), 1998.

(Editor) Languages of Worship (bilingual in Spanish and English), Liturgy Training Publications (Chicago, IL), 2004.

(Under name Raúl Gómez-Ruiz) Mozarabs, Hispanics, and the Cross, Orbis Books (Maryknoll, NY), 2007.

Contributor to books, including Misa, Mesa, y Musa: Liturgy in the U.S. Hispanic Church, edited by Kenneth G. Davis, J.S. Paluch (Schiller Park, IL), 1997; Commentary on the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy: Principles and Guidelines, edited by Peter C. Phan, Liturgical Press (Collegeville, MN), 2005; and Preaching the Teaching: Hispanics, Homiletics, and Catholic Social Justice Doctrine, edited by Kenneth G. Davis and Leopoldo Pérez, University of Scranton Press (Scranton, PA), 2005. Contributor of articles and reviews to periodicals, including Liturgical Ministry, New Theology Review, Living Light, Journal of Hispanic/Latino Theology, and Chicago Studies.

SIDELIGHTS:

Raúl Gómez once told CA: "I am motivated by the desire to enter into the larger dialogue in academic circles and in the popular press on Hispanic cultural and religious issues. I particularly wish to insert the perspective of the Spanish roots of these issues. Too often Hispanics and Latinos in the United States stress the Amerindian roots of these to the detriment of the European and African roots. Even so, I believe all the roots of Hispanic/Latino culture and religion must be examined for a fuller understanding of both Hispanic/ Latino culture and religion.

"I am greatly influenced by the work of Jaime Lara, Roberto Goizueta, Virgilio Elizondo, Orlando Espin, William Christian, Jr., Margaret Mary Kelleher, Victor Turner, Clifford Geertz, Arnold Van Gennep, Ronald Grimes, Alexander Schmemman, and other liturgical theologians and cultural anthropologists.

"My writing process involves extensive research on the topic at hand. I follow by writing a draft and then fine-tuning it until it is ready to submit for publication. I prefer the essay genre for it seems more readily ‘dialogical’ in nature than books.

"My inspiration has been my own experiences as a Mexican-American of Sephardi heritage."