At the 2004 Youth Day liturgy of the Religious Education Congress, a 17-year-old high school senior from Royal High School in Simi Valley stood up when Cardinal Roger Mahony asked for those in attendance who had ever felt inclined towards priesthood or religious life to stand. Everyone around him, especially his friends, were astounded!
For this young man, Sergio Lopez, bright, talented and popular, had all the options before him --- potential girlfriends, various college choices, "seeing the world," you name it. There was in the mix, however, an option that would eventually prove to be the right choice for Sergio --- becoming a seminarian at Juan Diego House.
Choosing to become a member of Juan Diego House (JDH), the Archdiocesan House of Formation for college seminarians aspiring to the diocesan priesthood, has brought a dimension and depth to Sergio's life that he never imaged would happen. With mixed pressure upon him from peers and family alike, Sergio chose to enter Juan Diego House in August 2004 with no clear picture of what awaited him.
Enrolling at California State University at Dominguez Hills, he embarked on a college career plan that would prepare him for graduate studies at St. John's Seminary in Camarillo. As an above average student, the academic challenges at CSUDH are manageable. Last January, Sergio began the pre-theology extension seminars at St. John's Seminary to round out his pre-theology preparation so when he graduates, he can begin his theological studies without any further pre-theology preparation.
But perhaps the most moving aspects of Sergio's life are two constantly developing dimensions: the community and formation at Juan Diego House, and the dynamic LifeTeen youth ministry he is completely engaged with at St. Columban Church in Garden Grove.
In the JDH community, Sergio is learning to maneuver through the complex realities of intentional community. Living as a family with young men who had not met each other until the day they walked through the door is a monumental task, to put it lightly. One must learn cultures, language differences, food preparations, personal habits and even TV preferences. At an age when many of their peers are focusing solely on themselves, the lifestyle at JDH requires that the young men be about others as well.
The prayer life and formation ministry that are integral in the life at JDH has brought a deep spirituality to Sergio that continues to grow. With daily Mass and prayer, spiritual direction, weekly formation sessions, retreats, regular Eucharistic Adoration and visits from priests, bishops, religious and lay leaders of the Archdiocese, the community life is very specifically oriented for the formation of a priestly lifestyle for Sergio and his brother seminarians.
Living at Juan Diego House has also enabled Sergio to develop his first love in ministry: high school youth ministry! Only a couple years ahead of high school students, Sergio finds that his ministerial gifts are brought to life in the LifeTeen experiences at St. Columban's. There he is able to be a minister today, not seven years from now when he becomes a priest, God willing. With the background of the Christian Leadership Institute (CLI), the Core Member Universities with LifeTeen and the Basic Faith Formation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Sergio is now attending the National Certification Program.
"I think Juan Diego House is the way we should be forming men for the priesthood," he says. "I think it allows us to have the best of both worlds, the secular and formational life. I know for myself, if I were in a traditional seminary at this time in my college career, I don't know how I would get through the tough times. On many days, my ministry with young people is what gives me the energy and the drive to want to wake up and be here.
"Ministry needs to be the heart of every young person's vocation and formation. The people I serve in ministry at St. Columban's, at my home parish of St. Rose of Lima in Simi Valley, and at places like St. Anthony of Padua in Gardena, where we have Juan Diego House, have no idea how much they influence my vocation."
Among Sergio's college seminarian brothers is Juan Ochoa, 19, a 2005 honors graduate from Cathedral High School. Juan had been already accepted by St. Mary's College in Moraga, Loyola Marymount University, UC Riverside and Santa Barbara, and several Cal State Universities, some of them promising tuition, room and board and other expenses covered.
Auxiliary Bishop Alexander Salazar, whose interest in priestly and religious vocations has been a priority since becoming a bishop, early on expressed a concern to the Vocations Office that "we might lose Juan" if we didn't encourage him to enter Juan Diego House. Juan's pastor, Father William Bonner, was likewise hoping that Juan would choose JDH.
But like Sergio, Juan needed no convincing. Beginning his studies as a seminarian at Juan Diego House was his first choice, and ultimately a blessing for him. Since entering in August 2005, he has learned to depend on the fraternal support of brothers like Sergio. This was especially important when Juan's father died in December 2005, leaving him orphaned, but not without a family. This "College 'Frat House' for Jesus," as the community members affectionately call it, has created a place where young men like Juan and Sergio can carry on with life's journey in an environment of support, prayer and community, no matter how hard the challenges.
As both Sergio and Juan continue their individual journeys, they are not alone! With the other members of the community, and those we hope will be joining them in the future, their hopes and dreams for becoming diocesan priests will be nourished, not necessarily at this time in a formal seminary institution, but by the People of God with whom they live, study and serve as college seminarians in a world of reality. Fr. Robert J. Juárez is director of Juan Diego House. |