MEET OUR STAFF

Friar Marcos A. Ramos, O.P.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Friar Marcos is a member of the Province of Saint Martin de Porres in the United States, presently serving as coordinator of spiritual life, director of liturgy, director of music, and formator at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio. He has a MA-M.Div. from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in Saint Louis , Missouri, as well as a Th.M. and Ph.D. in historical theology from the University of Saint Michael’s College in Toronto, Canada.

Fr. Marcos has years of pastoral and musical experience in different venues of North America, was co-chair of the Patristics Seminar of the Toronto School of Theology from 2010 until 2014, and has presented lectures in conferences and classrooms in North America and Europe.

At this moment Fr. Ramos also teaches courses in preaching at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio.

Deacon Ray Jimenez

Pastoral Delegate

Deacon Ray Jimenez is a native San Antonian who attended St. Leo the Great Elementary School and Central Catholic Marianist High School. He received his BA from the University of Texas at San Antonio. After working 25 years as an Adult Probation officer and Resource Training Officer (conducting training throughout the state) he retired from the Bexar County Community and Supervision Department as an Assistant Chief and currently works as a chaplain for Embrace Hospice.

Ray was ordained a Deacon for the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 2004 and is currently assigned to Mission Concepcion where he assists with Baptism and Marriage preparation classes, conducts Vigil Services/Rosaries, Quinceñeras, as well as coordinating the Rite for Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) Program.

In 1989, Ray married Rosemary Salinas at Mission Concepcion, and in 2019 they will celebrate their 30th Wedding Anniversary. They enjoy traveling, having been to Germany, the Holy Land, Italy, and most recently Spain, where they walked part of the Camino Pilgrimage Walk to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.

For recreation, Deacon Ray enjoys playing the guitar, running, and has completed several marathons and half marathons.

Ethel M. Rios

Bookkeeper

Ethel M. Rios was born and raised in El Paso, TX to Richmond and Alicia Brackeen and is the sixth of 8 siblings. She has been married to Albert G. Rios for 20 years and has 6 children and 9 grandchildren. Ethel began attending Mission Concepcion in 2006 and felt instantly welcomed by all so much so that she found herself volunteering where possible. By 2009 she was a money counter, reader and eventually an extraordinary minister. She has also volunteered in various projects and ministries. One of her favorites was coordinating the reposteria fellowship gathering after the 10:00 am mass which had to be postponed due to the pandemic but will soon begin again. Ethel enjoys cooking and is also a licensed cosmetologist. But most of all she enjoys spending time with the family sitting on the front porch listening to all genres of music,talking, and laughing. She is proud to be a parishioner of Mission Concepcion and to serve God and her community.

Mary Moncivais

Choir Director

Mary T. Moncivais grew up in San Antonio, TX, and attended Incarnate Word from elementary through high school graduation. She received her B.S.W. and M.S.W. from Our Lady of the Lake University. She is a licensed social worker for the State of Texas. Her 34 year Criminal Justice career has been as a Juvenile Probation Officer and Assistant Chief at Bexar County Adult Probation. She also serves as a Board member with the Ministry of the Third Cross and coordinates retreats for men and women in the criminal justice system. She has been involved with the music ministry since 2002 and directing the choir with principal musician, Ricardo Valdez for the past four years. Together they plan weekly liturgical, Holy Days and special occasion music for weddings and First Holy Communion and were able to plan the music for a Priest Ordination. Continuing education provides opportunities to keep abreast of new liturgical music and other content. Travel is a favorite pastime.

Albert Rios

Caretaker

Albert Rios is the youngest of three siblings. He has a sister, Anita and a brother, Domingo. Albert is a cradle Catholic being born, raised and still serving the St. Cecilia/ Mission Concepcion Community. He attended Riverside Elementary, Page Middle School, and graduated from Wheatley High School.

Albert was an all-star athlete beginning at St.Cecilia’s CYO and all through high school. Albert has been a member of the Mission Concepcion community since attending his first A.C.T.S. retreat in 2007 and has been the caretaker for Mission Concepcion since 2009. He and Ethel, his wife, were married on August 10, 2001 and were blessed to have entered the bonds of holy matrimony on January 12, 2013. He and Ethel are blessed with a beautiful family consisting of six children and six grandchildren. Albert serves as a Eucharistic minister, lector, ACTS Core member, and supports the Rite for Christian Initiation for Adults (i.e., R.C.I.A.) program and its studentsby attending classes and providing testimony for those wanting to complete their sacraments of baptism, first communion and/or confirmation.

Laura Pena Cuellar

Administrative Assistant

Laura Peña Cuellar is a native San Antonian who attended St. Leo the Great Elementary School and went on to graduate from Blessed Sacrament Academy. She has a son Roger, daughter in law Natalie and two grandchildren, Alexis and Roger Jr.
After a 40 plus year career with the
H-E-B Grocery Company in a leadership role she retired in March of ‘2022.
Laura has always found it important to live a life of service while her son attended Catholic School and in the Parishes of St. James and Prince of Peace Catholic Church.
Laura joined the Mission Concepcion Church Community in August of 2022 and joined the Mission Concepcion Team November ‘2022.