If being the fifth child in the family and the youngest, sometimes one can feel like the spoiled one, and the truth is that yes. There have been so many things I have received from childhood until today that looking back I can honestly say: “Lord, you went overboard!”. The big gift from my family is one of the pillars that has sustained me throughout these years. I was born in Mexico City on June 19, 1988, into a Catholic family, the son of extraordinary and exemplary parents in faith who from a very young age instilled in me a very sincere and personal love for God. My mom Ivonne has always been attentive to everyone’s needs and always present. A woman of prayer and with a great supernatural spirit, of a joy that is easily contagious. My dad Jesús, a true gentleman, a hardworking and responsible man in his commitments, of great generosity, always seeking to help and stay attentive to his children. When I was a child, every Sunday, one of the first things I would hear him say in the morning when we got up was: “What time are we going to Mass?” His priorities were very clear.
I have two brothers and two older sisters. Each of them has contributed in a very unique way something very special to my life, especially through their love and support, despite the difficult moments when many things are not easily understood. Their brotherly advice has been very valuable in my journey toward the priesthood. My brothers have given me a very great gift. I always wanted to have a younger brother, but it was not possible. That’s why I have always considered my nephews (8 at the moment) as my little brothers who have given me a lot of life and joy, especially when I have had the opportunity to spend time with them over these past years.
My childhood was peaceful, very family-oriented, with good friends. From kindergarten, I studied at the Instituto Cumbres Lomas in Mexico City. This school truly marked my life because of the people I met there, whether friends, teachers, and also because of my first contact with the Legion of Christ brothers and priests. Even then, what would happen years later was being prepared. A place I associate a lot with affection for my childhood and adolescence is our family house in Valle de Bravo. A place of rest located two hours from Mexico City. Most weekends and vacations we went there to rest. I loved it and still love it for the nature and the atmosphere of family coexistence. The games with neighbors, friendships among families, bike rides, and boat trips were very fun. Over time, I got to know the priests of Valle well, who always seemed very pleasant to me, men of God and very close.
From an early age, I was very interested in the priestly life; each priest I met was a great inspiration. There was a time when I started playing “celebrating Mass” and dressing up as a priest. Certainly, the seeds were being planted with these encounters. I really enjoyed helping them during Masses and greeting them. Likewise, at Cumbres, daily contact with parents and brothers was very special. They had something I also wanted to have in the future. I cannot forget a person who has definitely marked my life and has been one of the greatest inspirations to think about the priesthood from a very young age: Pope John Paul II. My mom says that when I was very small, I always carried a small picture of John Paul II with his arms open, greeting everyone. I certainly had great admiration for him and he has always been a great example of what a priest should be.
As the years went by at Cumbres, I got to know the Legionaries better, their way of living, and what they did. Something I perceived in general in each of them was their joy, enthusiasm, and that they did great things. It was something very contagious. During these years, I joined ECYD, which was my group of friends with whom I wanted to deepen my faith and do something for others. It was a very special time in which I experienced very good moments, first with God, getting to know Him as a true friend who seeks the best for me and who, despite my faults, will always be there helping me. Retreats, weekends, pilgrimages, our weekly meetings at our club, “Beavers’ Club,” were great moments when God was preparing the ground for the seed. Amid all this, there came a moment when the enemy of the soul was working, trying to distract me from what I was doing and distancing me from the thought of a possible priestly vocation. The important thing now was to be “cool” and to be with the “cool” kids in the group. But this didn’t last long… At the end of sixth grade, a Legionary priest, a very close friend of my family, Fr. Jesús Blázquez, L.C., who knew about my priestly doubts, sent me a postcard asking if I had already forgotten my priestly vocation. This question hit me like a bucket of cold water because I was actually putting my vocation aside and giving more importance to social life. Certainly, the idea of a priestly vocation was something that, if it happened, would begin after high school, or even after college. But it seems that God was in a hurry… Fr. Blázquez’s postcard marked a before and after.
The following year, I started secondary school at Cumbres Mexico. A year full of surprises awaited me. I continued very dedicated to my participation in the ECYD club. That year, a pilgrimage to Rome was being organized to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Legion’s founding (1941-2001). The school was promoting this pilgrimage. I was filled with a strong desire to go, and thanks to my parents, I was able to go with my ECYD group. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience. Being so close to the Pope in Rome and seeing so many Legionaries together marked and inspired me greatly. During that period in Rome, I had the opportunity to participate in an ECYD International Convention. There, I shared experiences with teenagers from other countries, especially from Chile and the United States. It was very impressive to learn more closely about the apostolates led by the Legionaries, always thinking big, seeking ways to bring the greatest number of souls to Christ. All of this attracted me greatly and filled me in a very profound way. This time in Rome was like another step that God was placing before me so I could keep climbing toward the summit He was calling me to.
Returning from Rome, I was in school on a normal day of classes during the worst class: Math… From the window, I saw a Legionary I had never seen at school (Fr. Rafael Pacaníns, L.C.), and to my surprise, he stopped at the door of my classroom and asked the teacher if he could come in and talk for a few minutes. And so he did! I remember well that he was a friendly and “cool” Legionary who spoke to us with simplicity and clarity about different vocations, emphasizing the priestly vocation. This brief talk rekindled that desire I had since I was little to become a priest, and the experiences in Rome helped me dust off the doubts that were accumulating in my vocational curiosity. After this talk, some of us spoke with the priest because we were interested in visiting the apostolic school during a weekend. In the end, I was the only one from the class and school who went to this gathering… It was a very special experience to visit that place where an atmosphere of serenity, charity, and family was palpable. Throughout the rest of that school year, Fr. Rafael guided me and helped me in my vocational discernment until one day he told me to go to the chapel and talk with Christ about this. And I did. During that visit, I only know that something very special happened. I started thanking Christ for everything He had given me and asked Him to help me walk the path He wanted for me. Unintentionally, I started crying, but inside I was very happy and with a strong conviction that He was calling me to enter the apostolic school. When I told my parents about the idea of going to the minor seminary, it was certainly a surprise for them, and it was difficult for them to accept. At the same time, I thank God for the great and unconditional support they always gave me.
July 14, 2001, was the day I left home to begin this adventure of following Christ. Every year has been an incredible experience! After finishing secondary and high school at the apostolic school in Mexico City, the big moment of discerning whether to take the step toward the Novitiate arrived. Inside me, that great flame of Christ’s call was still burning, and trusting in Him, I took the step. I completed the Novitiate in the United States, in Cheshire, CT. A very special place, full of great memories, and above all, filled with many friendships with my fellow novices and my formators. During these two years, I discovered in a very special way the gift of the Eucharist and the gift of fraternity with my companions. We were all there wanting to conquer the same ideal: Christ and the salvation of souls. At the end of these two years of Novitiate, I made my first vows, beginning my life as a religious in the Legion of Christ, and at the same time starting a new stage of formation: classical humanities. These would be another two years living in the same house, with new companions and formators. In February 2009, God had a surprise for all Legionaries when we discovered the news of our founder’s double life. I remember those months as if we were walking in darkness, not knowing exactly where we were going, and certainly with many doubts about the future of the Legion, but despite the pain, I was able to rediscover my calling, remembering that the one who called me is Christ, and He is the one who wants me in the Legion to know Him, love Him, and bring Him to others. It was a period of purification that helped me value the gift I held in my hands. At the same time, my companions and formators, especially the rector, Fr. Christopher Brackett, helped me a lot to keep my eyes fixed on Christ.
In 2010, I began my philosophy studies in Thornwood, NY. It would be two years with new challenges, studies, and projects. I especially remember the start of the revision of our Constitutions, requested by Pope Benedict. It was very enriching to share our experiences and proposals with others to better build the Legion of the future. After completing my bachelor’s in philosophy, my superiors sent me to Rolling Prairie, Indiana, to begin my apostolic practices as a discipline prefect at the Vocational Center. These two years taught me a lot about being a friend, brother, and father to teenagers and helping them reach their vocational fullness. Collaborating with parents in the formation of their children was very exciting and satisfying. In the summer of 2014, I received the mission to go to San Jose, California, to collaborate with youth ministry and vocations promotion. It was a radical change but opened many horizons in my apostolate and in meeting very committed people in Regnum Christi.
After completing my apostolic practices, I returned to Rome after 15 years, now as a Legionary. The three years I spent in Rome studying theology were full of countless graces and adventures. It was a period in which I was able to find greater calm and peace in my preparation for perpetual vows, diaconate, and priesthood. The proximity to the Pope and the simple fact of being in Rome were already a special grace. I must strongly say that without God’s grace I would not have been able to get this far, but I also cannot forget two pillars that have always been present in my vocation and have helped me persevere: 1) my parents, brothers, and sisters, who have been there from the beginning despite difficulties; 2) my Legionary brothers (“brothers”), whose friendship has helped me move forward in difficult moments.
It is impressive to see how God has acted throughout my life, sometimes in very small ways, but He knew what He was doing. After 17 years of journey, I thank God daily for this undeserved gift He has given me and for the gift of all the people He has placed around me so I could discover His will more clearly and follow it.
