Rev. Ruben Villalon Rivera joined the Cathedral as associate pastor effective July 1, 2019.
Fr. Ruben was born in Morelia, Mexico, of Pablo and Hermelinda, the middle child of three. He joined the work force until his priesthood discernment in August 2006 and attended Minor seminary for three years 2006-2009 in Our Lady of Guadalupe in Morelia.
From 2009 to 2012, he studied philosophy in the archdiocesan seminary of Morelia before and then came to The United States to study English in the summer of 2012 at the University of Tennessee-Martin.
Fr. Ruben was accepted to continue his theological studies at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of theology in Milwaukee, Wisconsin from 2012 to 2017.
He received the diaconate ordination by his Excellency, James Terry Steib, S.V.D. in the Cathedral on the Immaculate Conception in June 2016 and was received into the priesthood of Christ by the imposition of hands and the invocation of the Holy Spirit by his Excellency Martin D. Holley, also in this Cathedral, in June 2017.
Before coming to the Cathedral, he served a two-year assignment as associate pastor at St. Louis Catholic Church, Memphis.