In Memoriam: Fr. José María Salgado, FSSP (1933-2025)

OBITUARY

Father José María Salgado, FSSP passed away on March 8th, 2025. He was 92 years old.

Fr. Salgado was born on January 25th, 1933, the eleventh of thirteen children born to José Salgado and Maria Leyva Salgado. He was baptized at Holy Family Church in his native Tucson, Arizona.

Father Salgado served in the United States Army for two years after graduating from high school. He then attended a minor seminary but began a career as an electrical technician after graduating. He later received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Languages from California State University of San Jose. He pursued his vocation again later in life, receiving a Master of Divinity Degree from Holy Apostles Seminary before being ordained a priest for the Diocese of Stockton, California in 1993.

Fr. Salgado loved the Traditional Latin Mass and applied to join the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in 1994. He was definitively incardinated into the Fraternity in 2001. Father served near Denver, Colorado for around ten years beginning in 1996. He was instrumental in developing the Fraternity apostolate there and put much effort into building a church for the Latin Mass Community in Littleton, Colorado. Father was skilled in carpentry and would personally work on building projects. He reluctantly left Colorado for his native Arizona in 2006. Father Salgado began offering Mass at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Clarkdale, Arizona and was stationed there until he retired from public ministry in August of 2021.

Father’s beloved sister, Celia, assisted him at St. Cecilia’s as housekeeper and secretary. Fr. Salgado undertook renovation projects at St. Cecilia’s, doing much of the work himself. It was not uncommon to see the octogenarian priest up on the scaffolding in the church, hard at work. He would want to be remembered for his love of the Traditional Latin Mass and for the Church.

The exact arrangements for Father’s funeral are not yet finalized; however, a funeral Mass will be held at the Fraternity’s apostolate in Arizona.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
+ May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen. +