On June 24, Deacon Starli J. Castaños Rodríguez and Deacon Krzysztof Tyszko will be ordained as the two newest priests of the Diocese of Paterson. This is a joyous moment for the Church of Paterson, and all are invited to participate in the Mass of ordination at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson.
I will say that the turning point in my life that made me say “yes” to God was a couple of years after the death of my paternal grandfather when I came across one of the last letters that he wrote to my brothers and me. Months later, I was invited to attend a Catholic Charismatic retreat given by a priest who, later on in life, became a good friend of mine.
The advice I would give young people thinking about a vocation is: In the words of Pope Saint John Paul II, “Do not be afraid.” The Lord has a plan for each one of them; to stay close to Jesus; to allow the Lord to be part of their life.
My go-to saint is Pope Saint John Paul II and Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes patron of the Dominican Republic.
I have always wanted to become a priest. I can't remember a time when that wasn't true. What really pushed me forward to actually speaking to someone in the diocese about entering seminary was attending the Quo Vadis retreats, where the exposure allowed me to further discern my call and enter seminary formation.
The one word that I would give to someone discerning a vocation is “trust.” The Lord knows you better than you know yourself. Give Him the opportunity to work unbelievable graces in your life. It is scary, but the Lord will never give you anything that you cannot handle.
There are so many saints that I love, and I ask for their intercession regularly, but lately, Saint Peter is someone who I've grown close to. Living close to St. Peter's Basilica was a contributing factor, but also Saint Peter being someone who, when the time came to step up, knew that he had to step up, whether that was amongst the other apostles, during his travel to Rome from Israel, or when the time came for him to go and give his life for Jesus Christ.