From a young age I had a desire to be a priest. I often would dress up as a priest and play Mass with my cousins and friends. While they might have thought we were just playing, it was very serious to me. When I started altar serving in the sixth grade, I began to take my faith more seriously and I actually gave some thought to becoming a priest. I have fond memories of my Pastor, Rev. Richard Hyatsu, who would talk with me for 10–15 minutes before daily Mass started. It was those quiet hours of the morning spent in the sacristy with him when I really got to see the heart of a priest. I would ask him many questions, and he patiently answered them all.
Although I had a desire to serve God as a priest, I was not sure what to do or where to go, so I decided to keep the idea to myself. As I began high school, I decided that becoming a priest was no longer something that I wanted to do. Not many people around me promoted it and my friends referred to it as silly in our conversations. God still continued to place that desire on my heart, and I wrestled with it. Saint Augustine says, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in the Lord,” and this was true for me. Although high school was a great experience for me, I was definitely restless in not fully accepting the deep desire the Lord had placed on my heart.
I attended college for two years at San Diego State University where I met a great Catholic community at the Newman Center. The priest there encouraged me to begin praying on a daily basis and frequenting confession and Eucharistic adoration. Through this time of prayer and fellowship with that community, I was able to discern that the Lord in fact was calling me. When I decided to accept the idea of pursuing my vocation, I finally felt fulfilled in the Lord.
I was not sure what my next steps would be. How would I begin to respond to God’s call? I was blessed to be close to a religious order who helped me discern with their community and accepted me to begin studying for the priesthood. After spending one year with them, I came to know through prayer and discernment that the Lord was calling me to the diocesan priesthood. On their recommendation I decided to inquire to the Archdiocese of Portland to see if the Lord would open the door for me and He did. Rev. Peter Julia and the vocations team gave me the opportunity to apply and eventually accepted me as a seminarian to continue my formation.
Please remember me and my other brother seminarians in your daily prayers.
Prayer for Our Seminarians
Lord Jesus, as you once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come Follow Me! We thank you for the gift of these seminarians called to serve in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Inspire them to imitate You, the Eternal High Priest, in sacrificial service to Your Church. Grant perseverance to our seminarians. Give them the graces they need to one day serve You faithfully as priests. May Your light shine through them to everyone they meet. Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation, help our seminarians to continue to say “yes” to the Lord who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation. Amen