When did you know you wanted to be a priest?
Well, I never wanted to become a priest when I was younger. I really considered being agnostic in college. It wasn’t until my junior year in college when I was actually going here at UTSA. I was working at Starbucks as a barista when I thought about becoming a priest. The Starbucks was right by Oblate and there was a priest that would always come in there. And he’d come in full collar, he’d take out his laptop, and he’d just do his work. Apparently, he was a teacher at Oblate and I was just like, “
What the heck, just start talk to him.”
He invites me to the
Life Awareness Retreat, the very, very first in the archdiocese. And it turns out he was the vocation director for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Father Arturo Cepeda, now Bishop Arturo Cepeda of Detroit. And then I graduated from UTSA and from there went into the seminary.
Two-part question: What is your favorite part of being a priest, and what is your favorite part of your current role at St. Anthony Catholic Student Center-UTSA?
Confessions. You know, I love just being that instrument. That’s all I am, an instrument. It’s God that works through me and Jesus Christ that works through me to give that absolution, but it’s humbling, so I enjoy it. And I enjoy the face of the person once they’re absolved, especially if they’ve been holding on to something for so long.
I love explaining things, in a way. that people understand it. I remember when I was younger, I really didn’t get Mass, or I really didn’t get my Catholic faith because the way it was explained to me was never at my level. So, I told myself when I became a priest, if I become a priest, I’m not going to be that priest.
What Pope Francis says, accompaniment and discernment. And so, one of my joys is accompanying people on their spiritual journey.
Students that come from all over, different walks of life, different faith journeys. And then, you walk with them, through everything going on, and accompany them on their journey. And then you see them graduate. For myself, it’s bittersweet because it’s kind of like, “
Oh, I’m happy for you, you made it.” On the other hand, you feel like a parent. Yeah. Watching your, you know, watching this, this kid, you know, this, this young man and woman who you’ve been working with for years, a couple years, and you got to know them. Go off into the world and you’re just like, I’ll miss you. Don’t be a stranger. But it’s beautiful. It’s beautiful to see that life. And of course, being alumni of UTSA. I am a fan, I do bleed orange and blue, and I am a season ticket holder. It’s a special joy to be here in my alma mater.
How does your typical day-to-day look?
I have to travel a lot to celebrate Mass at college campuses in San Antonio. This includes Northwest vista, Trinity, UTSA, Texas A&M San Antonio, and anywhere I am needed. We always have different student events at the St. Anthony Catholic Student Center-UTSA so my day is never boring!
This is a funny question because there is no typical day to day for myself. Every single day is a new day, and every single day has a new adventure. Of course we plan everything throughout the year here. One thing that I do want to highlight in one of these questions is the fact that I just work with a great team.
The three campus ministers that I work with are just amazing. They make it look so easy. You know, one is assigned here at UTSA and she’s amazing, she’s awesome. She deals with the students and walks with them just as much and she pours her whole heart into it. Which helps UTSA, you know, helps the students here flourish.
And I have two campus ministries that serve, um, Texas A& M, San Antonio, Northwest Vista, SAC, and Trinity University. They’re like Paul and Timothy. Very, like, “
Let’s get out there! Let’s evangelize!” I am blessed to work with them, I couldn’t do it without them.
I do my morning prayer. If I don’t walk my dog, I still do my morning prayer in the car. That never changes. And then I get to the day, and sometimes, my day ends at 7. Other days my day ends at 10:30 at night. And then I just pray night prayer. And then I go to bed. So that’s what the day looks like. It’s nice. It’s not so cool. It’s enjoyable. It is. Because you never know what’s going to come up, so it’s not going to be boring.
Is there a moment or event you recall that you are most proud of while working in Campus Ministry?
It was when we decided to do the Eucharistic procession here for the first time on campus. And then have adoration and praise and worship there in the
sombrilla. I think that was a big moment for all of us, at least for here at UTSA. Because it never had been done before. And students loved it!
As processing with Jesus, you know, all the way outside on campus. You see just people that kind of look like curious, like what is that? Yeah. But also, others just stop what they’re doing. They just make the sign of the cross or they kneel. They’re professors, they’re students. We had a cop just stop and just stand there.
And we continue to do that every semester. Over a semester we have, um, we have adoration and praise and worship there once a semester.
What is one fact people don’t know about you?
I go to the top 50 barbeque joints in
Texas Monthly magazine. There’s one year where I tried to go all of them, and I just didn’t make it. But usually, I go to all 50 barbeque joints in
Texas Monthly. They come up with a list every two or three years.
2M Smokehouse BBQ is pretty good here in San Antonio. Roegel’s BBQ in Houston is great, too.
Is there anything you’d like to say to our Archbishop’s Appeal for Ministries donors?
I mean, first off, I just want to say, thank you so much for those that have given, and those that continue to give to the archdiocese.
For those that haven’t given, my recommendation would be to visit a particular ministry you are interested in. Be informed. I think what you’ll notice is the archdiocese is doing a lot.
I would encourage you to prayerfully consider giving, and you don’t have to give that much. Just give what you have and that makes a difference. Just give what you have, and let God take care of the rest.
