“The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) was saddened to learn of the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Patrick F. Flores who was appointed as the first Mexican-American bishop in the United States, a landmark moment for Hispanics in America,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.
“A pre-eminent pastor who was always mindful of Jesus’ poor, he was a simple man who touched the lives of countless people in San Antonio, across the country and around the world. He will long be remembered as a leader in promoting educational opportunity for Hispanic young people, as the driving force behind the creation and growth of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and as an ardent defender of human rights, especially those of immigrants, the poor and the overlooked. We will miss him dearly, but his work and influence upon our lives will be with us for some time to come and for that, we are grateful.”