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COMMUNITY
March 20, 2018 | The Valley Catholic
Priest Interview – Father Engel Gammad
Father Engel Gammad
was God’s will. “I went back from the
time when I was a child to elementary
school, high school, college, and then
I looked at my relationships with my
family, my Church, and myself and
how I relate[d] to people. I saw the
connection of all the events in my life
that lead me to where I was at that mo-
ment when I was deciding and I saw
that there was a pattern. I said, ‘This is
where God wants me to be’ and with-
out a doubt I knew that God had chosen
me to become a priest.”
Subsequently, Father Gammad
went on to study philosophy for four
years and then theology for another
four years. On May 24, 1984, he was
ordained a priest in the Philippines.
After serving in the Philippines for
ten years, Father Gammad’s diocese
sent him to study canon law. He was
sent to Spain to study at the University
of Navarra and received his master’s
and doctorate degrees after six years.
“[It] was one of the most beautiful
experiences I had as a priest because I
had a chance to live in Europe … to be
trained in Europe is quite diff erent. The
university system is diff erent and [so is]
the mentality of the Europeans, so that
helped me in my training.”
From a young man who was molded
by education from seminary school, to
studying for 12 years in the Philippines
and an additional six in Spain, Father
Gammad’s passion for learning lead him
towards the priesthood and provided
guidance and determination.
Father Gammad moved to Los Ange-
les, initially assigned to go from parish
to parish asking for mission appeal for
churches in the Philippines. He decided
to move to San Jose in 2005 seeking a
more peaceful and quiet environment.
He served for two years at Holy Family
and served another two years as the
assistant pastor at Saint Clare Parish in
Santa Clara. Then, he became a judge at
the Tribunal of the Diocese of San Jose
from 2008-2014. Since July of 2015, he has
been the Pastor at Saint Joseph Parish,
Mountain View.
Father Gammad has been a priest
for 33 years. He fi nds sustenance in
celebrating Mass and in the Holy Eu-
charist, “The Mass makes me see things
from the perspective of Christ. It’s
extraordina