Ernest Garcia

Class: I College

 

Parish: St. Joseph, Downingtown

What year did you enter the seminary?
2009

 

What did you do prior to seminary entrance?

After I graduated from high school in 2008, I stayed at home for a year, praying, working and discerning God’s will for my life.

 

What influenced your decision to enter the seminary?

My own experience of receiving the sacraments, particularly the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist from priests and the idea that someday I could do the same for others.

 

Why do you want to be a priest?

I have a desire to be a priest because I love Jesus and I strongly desire others to come to Him and find the happiness I’ve found in Him. I want others to have that happiness of knowing Him, loving Him, and living for Him. I know that a priest is able to bring Christ to others in the most powerful way that no one else can.

 

What did your family and friends think about your decision to enter the seminary?

They were supportive and glad about my decision to enter the seminary. Many have said they could see me one day as a priest.

 

What do you do for fun?

I like to play sports, listen to Christian music, play guitar, and sing songs that glorify God.

 

Who is your favorite Saint?

St. Maximilian Kolbe is definitely my favorite saint. I want to imitate his extreme love and devotion to Mother Mary, his incredible zeal for souls, and his selfless love for Jesus and others which sustained even unto death. Like him, I want to be a warrior for Mary in this battlefield and win as many souls as I can to the hearts of Jesus and Mary.

 

What advice would you give to a young man thinking about the seminary?

If you’re a young man thinking about the priesthood, just know that thinking about it is itself a sign that you might be called to be a priest. When you are questioning your vocation to the priesthood, remember that it is not just about you, but is more about the hundreds of souls God may have destined you to save by the power of the priesthood.