Here’s a little bit about me. My name is Fr. Corey Tufford — most people call me Fr. Corey. I grew up in San Diego, first in Point Loma and later in San Carlos. I attended public school through 8^thgrade and graduated from Saint Augustine High School in 2007. I became Catholic in high school, and I was received into the Catholic Church on December 4^th, 2004, at Mission San Diego de Alcalá. It was also during high school that I began to experience God’s call to priesthood.

In 2011 I graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville as a Philosophy and Theology double major. From there I spent a few months in San Diego continuing to discern the call to priesthood at the Saint Francis de Sales Center for Priestly Formation (SFC) on the campus of the University of San Diego. As I finished my time at the SFC, Bishop Brom invited me to complete my seminary formation in Rome at the Pontifical North American College. After completing my seminary formation in Rome, I was ordained as a diocesan priest for San Diego on June 24^th, 2016. Since then, I’ve spent one year finishing some studies in Biblical Theology, three years at Saint Pius X in Chula Vista as an associate pastor, and the last two years at Saint Mark’s in San Marcos as an associate pastor.

I love my friends and family. I enjoy being in nature — hiking, running, walking, and surfing (well, more like attempting to surf!) I enjoy learning, watching good movies, and listening to music. And of course, I love the Lord and the Church! From the time I was in high school, I’ve found silent prayer with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, regular confession, and receiving Holy Communion to be the greatest gifts for spiritual growth in my life, along with praying the Rosary and practicing Lectio Divina with sacred Scripture. As a priest, I love offering the Sacrifice of the Mass and celebrating the sacraments. These first six years as a priest have been full of blessings. It’s been a special grace to be a witness to God working in the lives of so many men, women, and children. 

Many wonderful men and women have guided me along the way to this point in my life and through them I have experienced the love of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God is faithful, and He is constantly calling me, and you, to holiness — to be in communion with Him, loving one another as He has loved us.

I pray that as the pastor of Santa Sophia I will serve you well as we grow in holiness and journey together toward our heavenly homeland.

Fr. Corey Tufford
Pastor of Santa Sophia