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Welcome from our Pastor, Fr. Thomas Vital Martin!

My brothers and sisters in Christ, 

As I begin my new mission as Pastor of St. Pius Church, I wish to express my sincerest thanks and appreciation to Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, Vicar General Fr. Stephen H. Howell, Vicar for Clergy Fr. Ray Reyes and the members of the Priest Personnel Board. They have placed confidence in me, after listening to the hopes and aspirations of a wide representation of our parish community, to shepherd our community in the days and years ahead. 

When I arrived here at St. Pius as a newly ordained priest, I had much to learn. I have told him many times and I want to state here my gratitude and sincere thanks to Fr. Paul Rossi. He has been an exacting but excellent mentor, teacher and brother as we worked hard for the people of St. Pius. He challenged me to grow and to see the world from varying and diverse perspectives. I would not be prepared to assume this new ministry had I not been given the privilege to learn from him. I want to thank Fr. Paul, as well, for his many years of priestly service to the people of our Archdiocese. He remained faithful throughout and we offer him our gratitude and prayers as he begins his much-deserved retirement. He will always be welcomed home here at St. Pius.  

I am also grateful and fortunate to work with a wonderful and competent parish staff. Over these past five years, I have learned much from them as they live out their Baptismal call in loving and generous service to others. We have quite naturally collaborated together without calling it by that name. We mission together in a spirit of mutual respect and support; Father Paul and I have often remarked how lucky we are in this regard. This thanks also extends to Ms. Rita Carroll, the faculty and staff of our parish school. This year marks the sixty-fifth anniversary of the school, a time of thanksgiving for its rich history as well as re-committing ourselves to the future. I look forward to working as companions of Jesus with each of you as we strive to build up the Kingdom of God together in our St. Pius community. 

As a child growing up, our parish priest had a great devotion to the Good Shepherd. Fr. Vital Vodusek, my namesake and longtime pastor of the Slovene-Croatian Church of the Nativity in San Francisco, was a tireless father and shepherd to the families and others entrusted to his care. I pray, as imperfect as I am, that I will live up to that commitment to be a good shepherd who loves, feeds, and tends his sheep. I will strive to have an open heart, a listening ear and generosity of spirit as together we bear witness to the Good Shepherd himself, Jesus Christ. Let us pray for one another unceasingly and please pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.