«By their fruits ye shall know them» (Mt. 7:16).
The generosity of the benefactors of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has brought four new fruits for the Church in Peru: on December 30, the Prelature of Yauyos (south of Lima) will have two new priests and two new deacons from the Major Seminary of San José de Cañete.
ACN interviewed Osnar Jarsiniho Bartolo Cardenas, Jesus Oyolo Velasquez, Paul Miguel Florencio and Flavio Jhair Perez Lizarme (aged between 24 and 25) about their vocation stories, which emerged mainly thanks to the witness of life of other priests and the acolyte; and about the importance of financial support for seminarians.
A priest is the first vocations promoter
Deacon Osnar told ACN that his vocation story began with a photo shoot at a church for a school assignment. He was so impressed with the priests’ work and prayer life that he became an acolyte, and upon finishing school decided to enter the seminary. Despite losing his parents, «that was not an obstacle to saying ‘no’ to the Lord on the subject of vocation, but to have confidence in him and the perseverance to continue.»
Deacon Jesús indicated that since the beginning of high school he wanted to be a priest and that one day before the Blessed Sacrament, he approached a priest and told him his vocational decision. He replied «help at Holy Mass». After a period of work as an acolyte, he began to receive spiritual direction and to participate in vocational retreats.
Both entered St. Joseph Major Seminary in 2013 and 2014, respectively. They were ordained deacons in December 2021 and during that year and the current one, Deacon Osnar developed his pastoral work in the Parish of Huarochirí and Deacon Jesús in the Parish of San Lorenzo de Alis – Tomas. These two churches are located in villages in the mountainous area of Lima and have more than 500 years of history.
Regarding this experience, Deacon Jesús emphasized that «God made me see the need for vocations. In that parish there was a need for an additional priest. Many of the faithful ask for Holy Mass and sometimes the priest is not enough. And the long distances of the towns make it very difficult for us».
A few weeks after his priestly ordination, he assured that support for seminarians «is important because the priesthood is a gift, a gift that awaits correspondence. And deciding to become a priest is to become a gift of the love of Jesus Christ to men».
For his part, Deacon Osnar told ACN that the news of his priestly ordination is «something great, something that no one is worthy to receive, but the Lord is the one who does things, he gives his gifts to whom he wants and calls whom he wants. As the scripture says, ‘we are useless servants’ and we have done what we have to do, respond to the call of Jesus and here we are».
Good friendships can help build a vocation
Both Paul and Jhair told ACN that they participated as acolytes in their respective parishes and that this experience helped them forge good friendships, especially with the seminarians.
«One thing that impressed me a lot was the way the seminarians treated us, the priests whom I was beginning to know, they treated us with kindness, with affection, with concern, you really felt confident with them and felt at peace. You had such a good time that you wanted to stay a little longer», said Paul.
Although Jhair had not at first considered becoming a priest, after constant contact with them «I realized that a priest is an ordinary person, who has the grace, has received grace through the sacrament of Holy Orders and it is a wonderful thing. After many doubts, he decided to follow a spiritual accompaniment and discernment, with which «I returned to this idea of vocation and said I was going to answer yes. I remember it was a beautiful experience and that week I felt as if I had turned my back on God (by previously refusing to follow the vocation), as if I was rejecting him. God was indeed calling me.
Why is it important to help seminarians in their formation?
Based on their years of formation at St. Joseph Major Seminary and their vocational history, the four young men recalled that a priest «gives his life» and that they need the support of the people to «continue with their mission».
«The work of the priest is very important, even the salvation of people is at stake in some cases. There have been no priests due to economic shortage and it would be a great lack, a great absence in the world. It is something that they also told us in the seminary, that for lack of money or lack of it, a vocation cannot be lost, that is why their help is fundamental», Jhair pointed out in this regard.
As for material needs, Deacon Osnar commented that they can be «a pair of pants, a shirt, a garment for things he may need in the course of his formation or a book he needs to study».
Jorge Peña Bozzo, rector of St. Joseph Major Seminary, explained to ACN that the seminarians «are supported by scholarships and donations. It is a very significant help that allows the budget to be enough for the whole year».
He also took the opportunity to thank the benefactors of ACN because their donations «allow us to finance the lodging, the food, the salaries of the professors and for the different services that exist in the seminary.
«I have been a priest for almost 25 years and when I was a seminarian, the bishop and the rector always asked us to pray for the benefactors, for the institutions that helped us. Among them, and one of the main ones, Aid to the Church in Need», he added.
Regarding the pastoral work in the Prelature of Yauyos, Father Peña Bozzo indicated that in addition to the attention to the villages in the mountains, this includes visits to the local prison and hospitals.
On the occasion of Christmas, the Pontifical ACN Foundation has launched a campaign to financially support seminarians around the world. As is the case with the seminarians in Argentina, many face various difficulties in completing their formation. Therefore, we invite you to learn more about this campaign and help the future of the Church in the world: