Who influenced/inspired you to priesthood? Please explain.

I was influenced by the spirit of many priests ordained from the Redemptoris Mater Seminaries. I saw in them a freedom and a disposition to leave everything and to go announce the love of God to people everywhere the Church sent them; also their love for the mission was something that always called my attention.

What would you say to a young man who thinks he may have a vocation?

I would tell him that it is a beautiful life. I would also tell him that the most important thing is not whether or not one has grown up inside the Church, practicing the faith, but to remain open to the call of God. I am a witness that God sometimes calls to the priesthood even those who are outside the Church. As the angel said to Mary, “do not be afraid,” because God never asks for something impossible to be done. If He asks for something, surely He will also give the graces necessary to achieve it.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I was not raised in a Catholic family. As a matter of fact I was baptized in the Anglican Church (my grandfather was Anglican). Since my baptism, I have never been in an Anglican church. Through the Neocatechumenal Way, I started going to the Catholic Church with my parents.

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