The Call of God - Seminarians in Miami

ucino, Ricky, Efraín, David, and Adam are five unlikely friends who have one extraordinary thing in common. These five men, with origins in Texas, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Poland, have come together in faith as seminarians to discern a calling to the priesthood. It is a calling that few consider and even fewer are willing to accept. Yet these young men have all left their families and friends to discover what God is calling them to do.

In September, each of the five men received a small replica of the Oblate Cross as a reminder of their commitment to vocational discernment. Each seminarian has devoted himself to consider his religious vocation at the Blessed Joseph Gerard Community in Miramar, Florida. There, under the guidance of Oblate Fathers James Allen and Richard Sudlik, they are praying, studying, and contemplating their vocation. David finds this aspect of Oblate life essential, “Our community is very important to me. It is a source of prayer and support.”

In addition to attending the St. John Vianney College Seminary full-time, the pre-novices dedicate much of their free-time to serving the Miami community, a richly cultured community with many needs. The Oblate seminarians have a wide variety of ministries including teaching Catechism, participating in youth groups, visiting the elderly, as well as volunteering their time to local charities and ministries.

Learning to preach the Gospel is one of the greatest focuses of seminarian life. These five young men have not only been learning about the Gospel through the seminary, but they have also been sharing the Good News of the Gospel with the Miami community. All of the seminarians are involved in ministries such as Catechism classes and youth groups which foster spirituality in the community. “I enjoy being with other people and sharing my life,” explains Lucino. Ricky says he also enjoys their work because, “It gives you the opportunity to make a real difference in someone’s life.”

Every Saturday, several of them minister at Boystown of Miami where many children who have been apprehended as illegal aliens are held. Most of these children cannot find their families because their relatives are either in a different country or are hiding in fear of their own deportation. The Oblate seminarians try to give these children hope by showing them God’s love and teaching them God’s word. They conduct various group activities which involve learning the Gospels, song, and prayer. “We focus on self-respect and the message of the Gospel,” explains Efraín.

St. Eugene De Mazenod, the founder of the Oblates, emphasized charity as well as conversion. He wanted the Oblates to bring the word of God to the poorest of the poor. This call to serve the poor is an inspiring aspect of the Oblate charism to Efraín who explains, “Oblates open their minds and eyes to the necessities of the poor and all people.” The Oblates’ dedication to the poor is an inspiration to all of the seminarians. “It is the call of the Gospel,” says seminarian Adam Kotas.

All over the world, men have given up everything to serve the poor in God’s name as Missionary Oblates. These five seminarians will soon decide whether they too will dedicate their lives to become selfless messengers of God. Until then, these men are armed with strong hearts and fervent faith to discern the call of God.