PROVIDENCE — To meet the demands of the growing Catholic Hispanic population in Rhode Island, for the second consecutive year, the Office of Vocations hosted a retreat day for Hispanic men who are interested in the priesthood.
Led by five priests and two seminarians November 10, a group of 10 men took the first step towards answering a call from Christ through a day of discussion, music, and Mass. The retreat was conducted primarily in Spanish; however, most of the men who attended were bilingual.
Deacon Jaime Garcia spoke to the men about the call to holiness and how his personal call led him to embrace a vocation to the priesthood. “I am overjoyed that Spanish-speaking Catholic men in our diocese who are trying to discern their vocation to the priesthood have this new opportunity. This retreat is an excellent way to guide them in their discernment,” said Garcia.
Yerick Mendez, a seminarian for the Diocese of Springfield who lives at the Seminary of Our Lady of Providence, shared his thoughts about seminary life. “I have personally benefited from the formation program here at the Seminary of Our Lady of Providence and I wanted to share my positive experience with these men. I believe it was helpful for them to hear from a man like myself who went through the decision-making process of entering the seminary.”
“I think the retreat was a very good experience simply because this group of young people came to hear about the priesthood and how the priest lives. I think the most important thing is they just need to hear about the life of priest” said Father Cardenas.
“The ten men that attended the retreat were very open and enthusiastic,” said Father Michael Najim, Vocation Director for the Diocese of Providence. “I was very encouraged by the turnout and even more encouraged by their openness to the possibility that God may be calling some of them to the priesthood. With a growing population of Catholic Hispanics in Rhode Island, it is essential that we provide for their spiritual needs.”
At the conclusion of the retreat, Father Najim told the men that they are always welcome to visit the seminary, and in fact should come back if they feel called to discern God’s call more deeply. He gave them practical advice on how to discern such a calling and spoke about assistance offered by the Office of Vocations.
