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Father Richard Estrada, a leading figure in the immigration rights movement known for opening Los Angeles’ first shelter for homeless immigrant youth and dedicating his life to those oppressed, passed away Monday at the age of 83.
According to family friend Angie Zimenez, Estrada was hospitalized in March due to pneumonia after contracting Covid-19 and died of Covid-related complications.
Estrada, the son of a Mexican immigrant, was born in Los Angeles on March 1, 1942. His father worked as a welding machine, and his mother cleaned the office building. He dedicated his adult years to defending the causes of those who believed they were treated as second-rate citizens, including immigrants, farm workers, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Estrada was a tireless advocate for immigrants who escaped violence and poverty, found work and illegally went to the United States to provide to their families. He has been an activist for over 30 years, delivering thousands of gallons of water to migrants crossing the desert along the border, providing his church as a sanctuary for those threatened with deportation, and mortgages his home for Jovenes Inc., the nonprofit immigrant youth organization he founded.
From 1977 to 2014, Estrada served as the assistant pastor of the Queen of Angels, a Catholic Church known as Rapsita, before departing to join the Anglican Church, saying that the doctrine felt better with her values.
“Father Richard Estrada was visionary,” said Andrea Marchetti, executive director of Jovens. “His sense of humanity and his unconditional commitment and love for his most vulnerable people were guided by all the actions he led, regardless of the challenges he faced in later years.”
Jovenes Inc. began organically in the late 1980s as they began to see Estrada appear at his church on Orvera Street without parents or support. He opened his East Los Angeles home to many people and founded Giovens in 1989. With the support of Estrada, it has thrived for many years and expanded to the vibrant Boyle Heights campus, providing services spanning housing, healthcare, education and career development for 700 young people, ages 700 to 24.
In his 2015 profile, he told the Times that he was led by the concept of La Posada, which means accommodation or accommodation. “I’m interested in giving shelter,” he told reporter Kate Linthicum.
In La Placita, he opened the doors of a church to protect young immigrants in an era of tense discourse about immigration, and federal officials accused him of promoting illegal activities. He handcuffed a federal building to draw attention to the light letters of immigrants in custody. This is the first of about 12 times he was arrested for civil disobedience, Jimenez said. His last arrest occurred in 2023, at age 81, when he marched for workers’ rights.
He also worked with Richard Zaldivar, founder of the Wall Las Memorias Project, to open his La Placita church for weekly HIV testing when the Catholic Church was not welcoming the LGBTQ+ community. Zaldivar remembers asking Estrada if he was worried about getting into trouble.
“He was like a shooting star. He didn’t bother him,” recalls Zardiber. “He urged many people to believe that by speaking up and organizing you can change your community and change the system. He also urged people to believe in their faith.
In the 1970s, Estrada, along with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, organized farm workers’ rights, took part in marching for United Farm Workers, and organized the grape boycott in East Los Angeles. He was a key figure in the Chicano movement, lending his height as a religious leader and defending underserved communities.
When he insisted on opening the first shelter for undocumented youth, hundreds of people appeared in opposition, reminiscing about Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, representing the Central and East Ra.
Actor Edward James Ormos said he came to know Estrada through his common interest in immigration rights and talking to incarcerated young people. Over the years, Estrada leaned against Ormos to support a variety of causes, and Ormos often answered the calls. “Okay, Father, we’re on the way,” he told Estrada.
Ormos said he remembers Estrada expressing his frustration as he revealed that Catholic Church ranking members were hiding sexual abuse of children, covering episodes that contributed to his decision to leave the facility, and another example of his belief in speaking his heart.
“He was one of the greatest people I’ve ever met in my life,” Olmos said.
As a pastor at Epiphany Church, an Epiphany Church in Lincoln Heights, Estrada baptized Jimenez as a child and later baptized her two daughters. He was present in difficult moments, she said, providing comfort and guidance, including the death of her sister.
“It was like you were next to the saint. When you were around him, it was one of the most comforting feelings,” she said.
Estrada remained active at Joven’s as board president until the beginning of this year. Shortly after his birthday on March 1st, he got sick and was diagnosed with Covid-19 and pneumonia, Jimenez said. He died on Cesar Chavez’s day.
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