Fr. Esequiel Sanchez was born in Chicago of Mexican Immigrant parents from Durango Mexico. He attended Chicago public schools and graduated from Curie High School. As he was working to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from DeVry Institute of Technology, he found his real call when he entered the Catholic Seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology. He then moved on to complete his graduate degree at the University of St. Mary of the Lake where he earned a Masters in Divinity and continued studies in Systematic Theology. He was ordained a priest in 1995 where he celebrated his first Mass at St. Agnes of Bohemia Church.

His first assignment was to be the associate pastor of Our Lady of Grace parish from 1995-1998. He then was named Director of the Office for Hispanic Catholics of the Archdiocese of Chicago where he served with distinction until 2004. He was founder and supporter of various initiatives within the Archdiocese especially the Noche de Gala Hispanic Ministry Awards Banquet that was founded in 1999 and still serves to recognize the great talent in ministry that is fostered in Chicago. During this time, he was also assigned as Administrator fo St. Mark Catholic Church and the Pasto for Holy Trinity Croatian Church in Pilsen. At the end of his term he returned to continue his studies in Systematic Theology in 2004 ofter which he was appointed as Pastor of Mary Queen of Heaven in Cicero untill 2011. Fr. Sanchez took a sabatical after which we was named Pastor of St. Bede the Venerable Church on Chicago’s south side. There he was dedicated to reviving Catholic Education for the Hispanic community. In March of 2016 Cardinal Blase Cupich named him Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, IL where he currently serves.

Fr. Sanchez has served the people of Chicago and the Archdiocese of Chicago in various capacities e.g. the Cardinal’s Administrative Council, the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council and from 2006 to 2010 he served as a m ember and Vice-Chair of the Archdiocesan Priest Placement Board. Fr. Sanchez has also served in various capacities outside the Archdiocese, specifically; Vice-President of ANSH (National Association of Latino Priests), Chaplin and co-founding member of CALL (Catholic Association of Latino Leaders- Chicago Chapter) and co- founder of “Dando la Mano.”  Fr. Sanchez has been featured and has been called upon to represent the Catholic community in various media outlets.