I am from Colombia; I was born in the bosom of a Catholic family. My mother and father work in tailoring. I grew up in Bogota, the capital city of Colombia. We are a nuclear family; I have always lived with my parents and my two little brothers. I studied in a Catholic school where I learned all my Christian values and where I started hearing God’s voice calling me to the priesthood.

I enjoy writing; I like languages. At university, I learned English, French, and Italian apart from my native language which is Spanish. One of my principal interests is the Church, I love reading the holy Scriptures and everything related to the church. I have also learned about apologetics which means the defense of the faith.

When Jesus called Philip and Nathanael because Philip is my middle name. Whenever I listen to this passage I feel as if Jesus was calling me by my name. It can be found on John 1: 43.

St. Joseph because of his saintly parenthood, his excellent virtues and his silent work in Nazareth with the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. After Mary, the holy mother of God, there is St. Joseph, her spouse, as one of the greatest saints in heaven. His humility, masculinity and prudence are heroic virtues to imitate.

I felt called to the priesthood when I was a child. I started to realize that it was possibly a true call of God in my adolescence. It started with subtle words from my teachers and friends. After that, I felt that sometimes God was calling me through the Gospel in the Mass. And, as a result, my heart was full of his fire of love. Then, I could recognize the call and I started to look for it. By God’s providence, I found the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the vocations office website. I started the application on January 2023 and now I am a seminarian!

Seminary life is awesome because we are in the constant presence of Jesus every day. We study and make a fraternal community of brothers in Christ. Personally, seminary life is an experience of being loved by God in a specific and special way. In addition, I am preparing to give all that love to society once I finish my studies. With constant study and prayer, we are able to build as much as we can with the aid of God’s grace the same feelings and behaviors of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The people, to serve them and do all things good. To do as much good as possible. Be in contact with people to show God’s mercy and love through the sacraments. I look forward to glorifying the name of God through my testimony.

To be brave, open their ears and be humble. Then, follow Jesus with happiness. There is nothing to lose and all to win. Heaven is waiting for us, and we must be prepared for this. If God gives you a talent it is to serve Him and the rest of the people, if not, you are not going to be happy. Follow your true vocation grants you unlimited happiness for the rest of your life. I encourage you to say yes like Mary who said yes even if she did not know all the details. Do not be afraid about the future and trust God.