He holds his fondest memories of his family and friends in that town, a village he often returned to on vacation during his time at the seminary in Venezuela to be with his family and help out in the parish.

He spent his childhood there, accompanied by his mother and grandmother, the two women who planted the seed of faith in him. “My family is a gift from God to me,” he confesses tenderly. He is the youngest of four siblings, and although his father was absent, the warmth of his home, the Sunday catechism classes, and the example of his elders gave him a deep sense of community.

Now, his nephews are a source of joy for them all. “For me, family is an essential part of my life in every way.” Leo is saddened when he remembers that some of his family have had no choice but to leave Venezuela due to the political situation.

Say yes to the Lord and receive a good education

It was in his adolescence, while helping as an altar boy, singing at Mass, and participating in the Legion of Mary, that he began to wonder about his future. At 17, he decided to say yes to the Lord, prompted by the close witness of his parish priest.  “The Lord called me in the most ordinary way: as a young man who wanted to do something with his life,” he says. And so, Leonardo decided to embark on this beautiful adventure that captivates him more every day.

He now resides at the Bidasoa International Seminary and studies at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra. He was sent by his bishop, Monsignor José Manuel Romero Barrios, to serve the young diocese of El Tigre, which has just celebrated its seventh anniversary.

“As my bishop says, we are sowing what others will reap. There is a great need for priests, and it is essential that we are well-trained, not for ourselves, but for the people, who have the right to good pastors.”

Venezuela, an opportunity to evangelize

In Venezuela, where scarcity and social tensions have marked generations, Leonardo doesn’t see discouragement, but rather a mission. “It’s a great opportunity to comfort a humble, suffering people. Evangelizing today means being close, listening, presenting everyone’s wounds to God. And trusting.“

Leonardo recalls that difficulties have always been present in the life of the Church, both in Venezuela and in other countries. “It is in these difficulties that we can find opportunities to bring the Lord Jesus to all those people who suffer and thirst for Him,” he says.

This requires a great deal of dialogue, respect, and above all, the ability to listen and accompany people who live in anguish, with difficulties, but also with joy and longing for God. “This is the way to bring about change in my country, sustaining the faith of all those people and trusting in God’s mercy,” he says, hopefully.

The priest of the 21st century

To drive this change, we need well-trained priests. When we asked Leonardo what a priest should be like in the 21st century, he didn’t hesitate: “He must be someone who listens, who consoles, who doesn’t judge. An instrument of God for forgiveness. A man of prayer, capable of seeing the person face to face, not just from a screen or through social media. A poor, free, humble witness who trusts in God’s plans.”

This young seminarian is clear about this, and this is his goal: to become an attentive, respectful priest, informed about world events, but also capable of delving deeply into the particular context in which he finds himself.

“May people who see a priest see someone they can trust and find support in.  A priest of our time must be obedient and willing to suffer any calamity to proclaim the Word of God, to bring Jesus to everyone,” he emphasizes.

Secularization in young people

In an increasingly secularized world, he has not lost hope or optimism, primarily because he sees every day that many young people feel God’s calling.

“Attracting young people to the faith requires understanding and closeness, but above all, prayer, because all evangelization strategies would be fruitless if we don’t trust and place ourselves in God’s hands. Christ continues to captivate, but we must know how to present him in a way that speaks to them,“ he says enthusiastically.

Young Leonardo perfectly understands today’s youth, because he himself is part of the so-called Generation Z. Therefore, he reminds us that to evangelize young people, it is necessary to understand how they think today.

“That’s a very complex reality. However, a priest can reach out and listen to the concerns of young people, making them see that there are much deeper things and that our happiness lies in God.”

Ties between Spain and Venezuela

Leonardo also tells us about the ties between Spain and Venezuela and leaves us with a message for reflection: “Europe brought faith to America, but Europe is losing its faith and America is preserving and sustaining it.”

For him, Venezuela and Spain can complement each other in every way: “Spain has welcomed us, and we can only offer them the best of ourselves. The human and Christian values ​​of Venezuelans are a glass of fresh water for all of Spain and Europe, and the history and traditions of Europe help broaden the horizons of all who come here.”

For this reason, he is very happy to be in Spain and to reside at the Bidasoa International Seminary, where he has found a home: “It’s impressive to see seminarians from so many countries with the same aspirations. Here I have made friends, prayed, and studied. It’s a conducive environment for growth. You can feel the universal Church.”

Leonardo knows his path is demanding, but he doesn’t hesitate. Because there’s one certainty that sustains him: God never stops calling. And he, with serenity and joy, has already responded.