April 13, 2022 — On Tuesday, April 5, Manuel Chavira, SJ, of Jesuits West, was ordained a deacon at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Portland, Oregon. Most Reverend Kenneth Steiner, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Portland, was the ordaining prelate.
Chavira is currently serving as a chaplain at San Quentin State Prison. As a Jesuit in formation, ordination to the diaconate is the final step in preparation for priestly ordination in the Society of Jesus. Chavira will be ordained to the priesthood in June 2022.
Chavira earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. He served in the U.S. Marines as an infantryman and worked as an oil refinery operator in Southern California for almost 20 years. His immersion trip to the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales (Arizona and Mexico) solidified his desire to join the Society. He completed his theology studies at Regis College in Toronto.