Parish: St. Therese Parish, Appleton
Birth Date: June 24
Seminary: St. Francis de Sales Seminary
Seminary Address:
3257 S. Lake Drive
St. Francis, WI 53235-3702
 

What kinds of toppings do you like on your pizza?
A pizza made of basil sauce with cheddar cheese, ham, bell peppers, and mushrooms tastes great.

What is one skill people would be surprised you have?
One of my most recently developed skills is cultural competence. Since I came to the U.S., I have been studying, working with, and relating to people from various cultures. Being from Nicaragua, I enjoy sharing my own culture with others as well as learning about the similarities and differences with other nationalities.

If you had a talk show, who would be your first guest?
The first one that comes to mind is a person who is homeless. Two years ago, as I was attending a talk, one of the guests was a woman who had been living on the streets of Milwaukee for a few years. With a big smile on her face, she spoke of the virtue of gratitude by naming everything she was grateful for. Her life of gratitude was the talk.

What is your favorite line from a Eucharistic prayer?
My favorite line comes from Eucharistic Prayer I, which reads, “which we offer you firstly for your holy Catholic Church.” Anytime I hear these words, I go back to Ephesians 5:32, where St. Paul tells us about the great mystery of love between Christ and the Church. The Bridegroom has one Bride, the holy Catholic Church, and he has loved her by giving his life for her on Calvary. In the Mass, this mystery of love is made present, and we are privileged to participate in it.

How would you advise someone who wanted to deepen their love of the Eucharist?
To paraphrase St. Augustine, let us adore the one whom we receive. Asking the Lord for the desire to spend time before him in adoration is a key step into deepening one’s love for the Eucharist. When we place ourselves before his Eucharistic presence, we begin to know that it is the Lord, and that he is truly in our midst. In all sincerity and simplicity of heart, we ask Jesus for the gift to be with him, to thirst for him, and to remain with him. When everything changes around us, he alone remains the same. There is security and peace in going to see Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The same Lord from 2,000 years ago and for all eternity is the Lord present in the most Holy Eucharist. By adoring him frequently, we will desire more of him every day. There is always at least one thing that happens when we pray before the Blessed Sacrament: We adore whom we receive.

When you envision yourself celebrating Mass one day
as a priest, what do you imagine will be going through your mind and heart?
With longing for that glorious day, I imagine the words of Bishop Ricken going through my mind and heart: “What a gift!” Having been called to offer the one and true sacrifice of Jesus to the Father on Calvary for the salvation of the whole world is nothing less than a tremendous gift. In God’s providential love, he will entrust me with the gift of celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for and with the people of God. Indeed, it will be a gift to go to the altar of the Lord after years of discernment, preparation, and configuration to Christ. It would be a gift to act in the person of Christ the Head to transform, by the power of the Holy Spirit, bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.
Once celebrating Mass, I am sure I will realize how unworthy I am to be there while at the same time realizing the transformative power of God who can make all things new. It is the Father himself who makes us worthy to be in his holy presence and to participate in the sacrifice of his only begotten Son. Everything is a gift, with the Eucharist being the greatest gift. I pray that my lips and heart will never get tired of proclaiming what a gift it is to have been called to serve the Lord as his priest.

Which saint should people invoke for your vocation?
In preparation for priestly ordination, I would appreciate prayers through the intercession of St. Philip Neri, the third Apostle of Rome after St. Peter and St. Paul. I am inspired by how he allowed the Holy Spirit to rule his life.