Father Oscar Marquina was born in Caracas, Venezuela. His family immigrated to Utah when he was 9, and he later became a United States citizen. After graduating from Logan High School, he earned a degree in environmental engineering from Utah State University and worked as an engineer for four years before discerning a call to the priesthood.
He applied and was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Salt Lake City. He attended Mount Angel Seminary and later was sent to the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained a priest on June 30, 2023, by Bishop Oscar A. Solis. He then returned to Rome to complete his studies and obtained a licentiate in canon law.
In 2025, he was assigned as assistant judicial vicar for the Diocese of Salt Lake City and as parochial vicar of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Layton.
On Aug. 1, he will begin his new assignment as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Salt Lake City.
Father Marquina speaks English, Spanish and Italian.
What would you like your new parishioners to know about you?
I would like them to know that I come to Sacred Heart with great gratitude, humility and a sincere desire to serve. I hope to be present in their lives, to listen to them and to help our parish grow together in its love for Christ and his Church.
What are you looking forward to most about your new assignment?
I am most looking forward to getting to know the people of Sacred Heart and discovering the gifts, traditions and faith already present within the community. I look forward to celebrating the sacraments with them and working together to build a welcoming and missionary parish.
As a priest, what is your greatest challenge?
My greatest challenge is recognizing the weight and beauty of the responsibility entrusted to a priest. People invite us into some of the most sacred and difficult moments of their lives, and I continually ask God for the wisdom, patience and holiness necessary to serve them well.
As a priest, what has been your most satisfying experience?
The most satisfying experience has been witnessing Christ work in people’s lives through the sacraments and through simple moments of pastoral presence. Accompanying someone as faith is renewed, hope is restored or a burden is lifted continually reminds me why the Lord called me to the priesthood.