AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ROBERTO
CORRAL, OP
I firmly believe that if there is any goodness in me, it is because I
was born into a wonderful family. My parents were born in Mexico – my father in
Magdalena, Sonora and my mother in Torreon, Coahuila. They were both hardworking and
devoted to their kids. Remind me to tell you someday about how I got my middle name,
“Gerardo.” Both my mother (1981) and father (1979) have gone to their
eternal reward.
Being the youngest of seven children (6 boys and 1 poor girl), I
always felt that my folks saved the best for last; however, my siblings see it
differently. Nonetheless, I have continuously been loved and supported by all of my
family, including aunts, uncles and cousins (of whom there are about 200 in Southern
California). And, since I am the only priest in the entire history of both sides of
my extended family, I have received more than my share of affection and attention.
I went to St. Alphonsus Catholic elementary school in my hometown of
East Los Angeles, California, then to (Archbishop) Cantwell High School in the nearby
suburb of Montebello. I always loved sports growing up (who wouldn’t with five
older brothers?), especially basketball, which I played through my four years at
Occidental College in Eagle Rock (Los Angeles). It was at Occidental that I first
met the Dominicans – Tom De Man in my freshman year and Ray Finerty after that.
After graduating from college in 1976, I had a powerful experience of
God through the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church. For the next two years I
was going to at least two prayer meetings a week, reading the Bible assiduously and
feeling a deep desire to serve God with my life. After breaking up with yet another
girlfriend (I have been dumped by more girls than I care to mention), I began to sense
that God was calling me to the priesthood. It took another couple of years before
this vocation slowly crystallized in my mind and heart, and I eventually entered the
Dominican novitiate in August of 1980 along with eight other novices.
I am entirely grateful to the Order for my formation as a Dominican.
It is here that I have learned to become a better, more balanced and thoughtful
human being. Just one of the many great experiences that I had in my early years in
the Order was becoming part of the Pilgrim Friars, the itinerant musical group of the
Western Dominican Province. I made solemn profession in 1986 and was ordained in
1988 along with Miguel Rolland and Brendan McAnerney. In my 14 years of priesthood,
I have been assigned to the Newman Center at Tempe (1988-91), Holy Rosary Parish in
Antioch, California (1991-95), St. Dominic’s, San Francisco (1995-99) and Most Holy
Trinity in Phoenix (1999-2003). Each of my assignments has been enjoyable (and too
short!). I have lived with some truly fantastic friars (and a few characters) and
have met countless faith-filled and loving lay people. I hope that in my ministry of
being Provincial I may give back to the Province and the Order some of the goodness I have
received.
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