Fr. Joseph Santa Bibiana, SDB (1933-2020)

Fr. Joseph Santa Bibiana, SDB (1933-2020)

Fr. Joseph (José) Santa Bibiana Gisbert, SDB, died on the evening of May 15, 2020, at Wellington Regional Medical Center in Wellington, Fla., where he’d just been brought to the emergency room. The immediate cause of death was heart failure. He had been undergoing rehab for a few months related to treatments for pancreatic cancer at Royal Palm Beach Rehabilitation Center.

Affectionately known by students, parishioners, and confreres as “Father Santa,” he had been a professed Salesian for more than 63 years and a priest for 54 years. He was 87 years old. He followed into the “Salesian Garden” by less than three weeks his compatriot and classmate Bishop Emilio Allué, SDB, emeritus auxiliary bishop of Boston, who died on April 26.

Fr. Santa Bibiana was born in Valencia, Spain, on April 25, 1933, to José Santa Bibiana and Josefina Gisbert. He was baptized four days later in the family’s parish church, Our Lady of Lepanto.

Although he attended public schools, José attended the local Salesian youth center and was very impressed by the young Salesians there. In an interview in 2018, he told Salesian News: “At the age of 14, I started working in a bank and going to night school. On Sundays I went to the oratory with my friends. We rode our bikes about three miles to the Salesian oratory. In the morning there would be Mass and games, and in the afternoon there would be more games, religious instruction, Benediction, and a movie or a play on the stage put on by the students and ‘oratorians.’ I would say that I came to like the life of the Salesians by ‘osmosis.’ I especially liked the way the Salesians befriended us.

“At the age of 20 I was ready to join the Salesians. I already had the idea of becoming a missionary. The Salesian magazine Juventud Misionera had a lot to do with it, as well as the visits of some Spanish missionaries like Fr. Jose Luis Carreño (missionary in India) with his accordion and missionary songs. I still remember some of them today!”

In his vocation he was also encouraged by his confessor. He entered the candidacy program in August 1954 at Mataró (Barcelona), whence he was admitted to the novitiate at Arbos del Penedes a year later. There were 63 novices at the start of the year! (As an indication of the abundance of vocations in Spain at that time, the Spanish Salesian provinces had two additional large novitiates at that time.) Fr. Santa recalls, “During my novitiate I volunteered to go to the missions, and after our first profession I was sent to our Salesian Province of St. Philip the Apostle in the U.S.,” i.e., the New Rochelle Province.

Bro. Santa made his first profession of vows at Arbos del Penedes on August 16, 1956. Then together with his newly professed companion, Bro. Allué, he came to the U.S. as a “missionary” and began philosophical (and language) studies at Don Bosco College in Newton, N.J., on October 1, 1956. He graduated with a B.A. in 1959.

Fr. Santa (right) with Fr. Jeremiah Reen, 

long-time parochial vicar in Belle Glade, in 2009

Bro. Santa did his three years of practical training at the Salesian middle school in Tampa, Mary Help of Christians, in 1959-1962, where he was fondly remembered by his pupils. He made his perpetual profession in August 1962 and commenced theological studies at Salamanca, Spain, where he was ordained on March 6, 1966.

Upon his return to the U.S., Fr. Santa was assigned again to Tampa and served first as campus minister for two years, then as principal for a further two years. In 1970 he was transferred to St. Dominic Savio High School in East Boston as principal for three years. In 1972 he earned a master’s degree in education from St. John’s University in New York. He was also certified as a school administrator in both Massachusetts and New Jersey, as well as an English and Spanish teacher.

It’s proverbial in Florida that one “gets sands in his shoes” and wishes to stay there. So Fr. Santa returned to Mary Help of Christians as principal in 1973, but after just one year was appointed treasurer of the school, serving until 1976.

During a hiatus from ministry in Florida he moved to Don Bosco Technical High School in Paterson, N.J., to teach from 1976 to 1978 while also engaging in pastoral ministry on weekends for the Hispanic parishioners at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Manhattan. In 1978 he returned to East Boston as treasurer of Savio High School for two years.

In 1980 the Salesians assumed pastoral care of St. Philip Benizi Church (founded in 1961) in Belle Glade, Fla., on the southeast shore of Lake Okeechobee. Fr. Santa was sent south again as St. Philip’s first Salesian pastor. In 1987 he moved up the road (still on the lakeshore) to Pahokee as pastor of St. Mary’s Church. He also served as director of the Salesian community staffing the two local parishes from 1988 to 1993.

In 1993 Fr. Santa was assigned to St. Anthony’s Church in Paterson as director and pastor. In 1998 he was called to serve as treasurer of the New Rochelle Province, until 2003. He ministered to Spanish-speaking parishioners at St. Anthony’s Church in Elizabeth, N.J., on weekends from 2000 to 2003.

Fr. Santa was assigned again as pastor and director in Belle Glade in 2003, remaining until 2013. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel (9/21/10), “About 90 percent of Santa-Bibiana’s parish consists of migrants who live in substandard apartments and trailers in Belle Glade, one of the poorest and most violent communities in Florida. Many leave each May for farm work in the Northeast and return in September to harvest sugar cane and vegetables.”

But during his 2 pastorates, his proudest material accomplishments were building a catechetical center for the youngsters, and in 2008 carrying out a renovation of the church. He also oversaw a vibrant youth ministry program (see The Florida Catholic, 4/18/08), fortified periodically by missionary service trips from some of the Salesian province’s high schools and by the province’s Gospel Roads program.

In March 2016, Holy Cross Parish was visited by Salesian Fr. Pablo Abreu (leftmost)

from the Dominican Republic, who posed in the sacristy with Fr. Santa

and parishioner Bernie Hammel and Fr. Bill Bucciferro, SDB

When the Salesians accepted an invitation to take parochial and campus ministry responsibilities in Champaign, Ill., the province tapped Fr. Santa to be director of the three-man community there, parochial vicar at Holy Cross Parish, and pastoral minister to the local Hispanic community, particularly in Rantoul.

His 50th anniversary of ordination occurred in March 2016, and he was feted by Holy Cross parish and parochial school. At that time he told the Peoria Diocese’s Catholic Post (2/28/16): “I thank God that wherever I’ve been I’ve been happy. I enjoy the people, especially the young people in schools. You give yourself to them. The joy is knowing that through you God gets to them. You bring God alive through your dedication to them.”

Fr. Santa was more than happy to transfer the director's keys for the Champaign community to his successor (your humble blogger)--but anticipated the change a bit, posing for this photo-op at the provincial chapter in April 2016.  He had to wait 2 more months.

A feature article on him for his anniversary in Champaign’s News-Gazette (3/6/16) was headlined “Joyful Servant.” The article noted his difficulty with central Illinois’s winter weather, and his obedience to what God asks of him. He told the newspaper, “I’m going to do this as long as God wants. It’s God’s grace that keeps you going.” Again he commented on the youngsters: “You learn something every day, especially from the kids. That makes you change. The effort you make to be a better person, a better priest, that makes you change.”

The people of Rantoul and Champaign certainly responded to Fr. Santa and greatly regretted his leaving Holy Cross Parish in the summer of 2016. He received a tremendous send-off on July 10 (https://link.shutterfly.com/hzbIu21Fx6). 

Fr. Santa celebrating his farewell Mass at Holy Cross, July 10,

assisted by Deacons Bob Ulbrich (left) and Ed Mohrbacher (center).

He left behind a piece of his heart, keeping in regular touch with many of the people. On learning of his death, Holy Cross parishioner Dave Devall wrote: “He was a good and gentle shepherd, and I remember him loving to be around children especially ... a true Salesian!”

Fr. Santa exchanging good-byes with the Devall family

and some other parishioners on July 10.

Indeed, the desire for warmer weather, as well as his age (83) and, perhaps, Florida’s sand, drew him back to Belle Glade as parochial vicar in his old parish in 2016. In January 2019 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which he combatted optimistically, still helping when he could in the parish and maintaining contact with many friends from his former apostolates.

Fr. Santa is survived by two nieces in Spain.

A former Salesian, Bob Breault, comments, “Now we can truly pray and sing: ‘Santa Bibiana, ora pro nobis.’ He always had a smile for us.” That invocation of St. Bibiana was often on Fr. Santa’s lips.

Holy Cross Parish’s former secretary, Gloria Fellers, said: “I had wished him Happy Birthday in a text and he texted back on May 1st. He said he was praying for all of us. I know he suffered but never said a word about it. He was a wonderful holy priest.”

A former pastor of St. Mary’s in Pahokee, Fr. John Mericantante, said, “Because of Father Santa-Bibiana, I was assigned to St. Mary! He will always be my 'Hero of the Glades!' Many parishioners from north to south have made similar remarks that Fr. Santa was a shining light and beacon of hope to all in need."

The current pastor of St. Philip Benizi, Fr. Matt DeGance, affirms, “Santa will be sorely missed here. He was a zealous Salesian and faithful priest. Beginning as pastor three years ago, it’s hard for me to imagine learning the ropes from a better teacher, father and friend. He has taken a piece of many hearts with him to heaven including my own.”

Services were held on Wednesday, May 20, in a drive-by memorial in front of St. Philip Benizi Parish (710 S. Main Street in Belle Glade) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A Requiem Mass was celebrated on Thursday, May 21, at 11:00 a.m. by Bishop Gerald Barbarito and concelebrating priests. The faithful were invited to follow it via livestream on the parish Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in memory of Fr. Santa.


Fr. Santa will be buried in the Salesian cemetery at Goshen on Wednesday, May 27, in a private rite (limited due to social distancing).