He had just finished his rigorous medical studies when, in 2020, during the Covid pandemic, João Victor Corrêa Maiolino began dedicating more time to prayer. “ When I finished my residency, the very next day I was already with my brothers at the Seminary,” recounts this 31-year-old seminarian from the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has been living in Spain for a year at the Bidasoa International Seminary. In his testimony,  João Victor gives us the keys to applying medicine to the spiritual accompaniment and healing of souls. 

A simple family 

João Victor Corrêa Maiolino is from the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. He comes from a very humble family. His father (Francisco Vicente), a doctor, spent a little more time away from home, but he was always present in his discreet and observant way. His mother (Rosane) is a teacher and applied her pedagogical knowledge to the upbringing of him and his two older siblings: Thiago and his sister Lívia.  “I’m the youngest, even though I’m not the shortest,” he says with a smile.

“My family doesn’t have a strong Catholic tradition. We’ve all been baptized, but only my brother and I live the faith in a concrete way. My father lives the faith more discreetly and usually participates in Holy Mass on the occasion of a funeral Mass, a wedding, or some other family celebration. My mother and my sister practice another religion, Kardecist Spiritism,” he explains.

However, although their parents were not Catholic, they chose a Salesian Catholic school for their education. And in family life, amidst moments of joy and fun,  their mother always made them reconcile after arguments between siblings. 

The importance of sport in your personal development 

Adolescence is a time of change and rebellion, but João Victor experienced it peacefully. His concerns were much more related to sports than anything else. “What I was passionate about was playing basketball. I didn’t like studying; I’d pass and that was it. However, I played basketball at a high level to the point of moving to Rio de Janeiro, at 16, to play for the Fluminense club,” he recounts.

This sporting experience greatly helped João Victor in his personal development,  allowing him to cultivate crucial skills such as teamwork,  discipline, and the ability to prepare for major challenges under pressure. However, he didn’t continue his athletic career due to several injuries, and at 17, he had to choose between basketball and university studies. He chose his studies.

The tough six years of medicine  

“I chose Medicine. Since it’s a very competitive field in Brazil, I had to study a lot to get a place, considering that I had never studied so much before. In the end, I needed two years of preparatory courses to achieve it, and at 19, I entered the faculty,” recalls the young Brazilian.

After six years of medical school,  he began working as a resident physician. He had a girlfriend and his life was going very well. 

The priestly vocation came with the pandemic 

However,  during the pandemic in 2020, João Victor  began to dedicate more time to  prayer  and, as it became possible, also to sacramental life.

João Victor’s experience reflects a process many young men go through when they begin to consider a possible priestly vocation. God’s call doesn’t usually manifest itself in extraordinary ways. Often, it arises in everyday life: a more intense prayer life, the guidance of a priest, participation in the sacraments, or a growing desire to dedicate one’s life to serving others.

He recalls the intimate moments with God during that time: “Little by little, I grew immensely in my intimacy with God and drew ever closer to Him. Until, at a certain point,  a new question arose in my heart: Why not become a priest?  My first reaction was to reject the idea immediately. But it didn’t work.  The question kept returning until I decided to confront it head-on. I shared it with my parish priest, and during the discernment process, I ended my engagement and chose to take this calling seriously.”

For two years, while João Victor was completing his residency in Family and Community Medicine, he discerned his priestly vocation. Since the residency was at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), he lived in Rio and participated in the Archdiocese’s vocational retreats. Little by little, doors began to open, though not without effort and courage.  “When I finished my residency, the very next day I was already with my brothers at the seminary,”  he says.

The first seminarian from Rio in Bidasoa 

Thus, in 2024 he began his formation as a seminarian at the propaedeutic seminary of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro and, at the beginning of 2025, he had the opportunity to come and study at the  Bidasoa Seminary  to continue his formation.  He has been in Spain for about a year, “where I feel very comfortable,” he says.

When he received the invitation to study in Pamplona, ​​he felt a mixture of emotions:  surprise, joy, fear, uncertainty, gratitude, and many others . “It was very unusual, because I was  the first seminarian from the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro to come to Bidasoa to study the first year of Philosophy . Until then, everyone else had come only to begin their Theology studies. For me, this opportunity has been a great grace from God.”

A movement to bring young people closer to faith 

Regarding  the Church in Brazil,  he states that the reality is very diverse in such a large country. And something new is changing: “I have the impression that,  at this moment, a movement of approach to faith is emerging, especially among young people , driven in part by digital apostolate initiatives.”

This young Brazilian man recounts how  many young people are discovering a certain emptiness in today’s world.  They see how  social media , especially platforms like TikTok, increasingly occupies people’s time, but often without helping them find deeper meaning in their lives. When they discover that the Church has a solid two-thousand-year history and remains tangibly present in the lives of so many, they feel a desire to learn more about it, and many end up drawing closer to the faith.

Pastoral life, vocations and priests 

The Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro has a very active pastoral life, and depending on the region, different charisms can be found. As a result,  there is a high number of vocations , both to diocesan life and to religious life for men and women.

There are 162 seminarians in the major seminary and 41 in the preparatory seminary.  “Undoubtedly, this high number is also the result of the excellent work of Cardinal Don Orani, the prayer of the people of God, and the awakening of faith among young people that I mentioned earlier,” he says.

He also points out that there are quite a few priests in Rio de Janeiro, but, given that it is such a large city, “I think that if there were more, it would be even better,” especially  considering the need for priests in the outlying areas . “Furthermore, there are priests who live alone and, in some cases, somewhat isolated, without much proximity to other brother priests to better experience fraternity,” he laments.

Within the pastoral, social, and charitable life that the Church carries out in its diocese, it cites its home parish, Santos Anjos, as an example. It originated from a project promoted by Father Hélder Câmara, called Cruzada São Sebastião, which included the  construction of a church, ten apartment blocks for families living in the favelas, a school, and a parish center  dedicated to technical and vocational training. The idea was to offer opportunities to the most needy people in a high-income neighborhood like Leblon.

The challenges of the Church in Brazil 

João Victor recalls that  Brazil is a nation with a deep Catholic tradition , but for many years faith has been related to and lived primarily as a cultural expression, without reaching a deeper experience and without knowing the most basic aspects of the faith.

“This has fostered the growth of Protestant communities in recent decades, which, on the other hand, has become an opportunity for  Catholics to deepen our own formation  and to be able to give an account of our faith and the hope that is in us,”  he says enthusiastically.

Another major challenge  is indifference toward God . “We live in a culture where many organize their lives as if God didn’t exist, and this isn’t limited to Europe. It is undoubtedly a great challenge for evangelization. However,  I believe it can be overcome, above all through the witness of life.  A consistent life, centered on God and focused on those around us, is  like a candle that burns down to illuminate and warm others,”  this seminarian explains.

His experience among Spaniards  

Regarding his experience in Spain, many things have surprised João Victor.  First of all, the rich history that speaks to us through the architecture, the grand temples, and an ancient culture that remains present not only in the buildings but also in the way many people live.

“I spent  Holy Week in   Granada  and had the opportunity to see how practically the entire city participated in the processions: some as bearers, others playing in the bands, and others simply accompanying or watching the brotherhoods pass by. What impressed me most was seeing that  the whole city experienced Holy Week in a very united way,”  he recounts. 

However, João Victor got the impression that there wasn’t always a genuinely religious intention behind that participation. In other words, not everyone participated motivated by faith. “But I don’t see it as a problem, but rather as a reflection of a society that, little by little, has been drifting away from God. In fact, I think it’s a  great opportunity for evangelization,  because it shows that there’s still an open door to sow the Gospel in the hearts of many people.”

Contrasts between Brazil and Spain 

She has also noticed contrasts between Brazil and Spain : “It’s one of our country’s biggest challenges:  urban violence . In Rio de Janeiro, there’s a strong presence of drug trafficking, and many people live in fear and vulnerability in this context of violence. All of this influences how people live, think, and make decisions, as they often consider potential risks that affect their daily lives,” she explains.

Although we also experience insecurity in Spain, it’s not comparable to his country. “A  child who grows up in an environment like the one I found in Spain , with a greater sense of security, can experience many things more peacefully. Faced with this problem, the role of the Church is fundamental, because only God’s love is capable of transforming hearts in a profound and true way,” he says.

The priest who wants to become: a doctor of souls 

After his formation in Spain, he will return to Brazil to be ordained a priest. And inevitable questions arise: ” How do I proclaim Christ to people today?  What kind of priest do I want to become?” 

João Victor offers some insights, comparing medicine to the priesthood: “I believe that priests, like doctors, need to develop many skills. Not only a good theoretical foundation, but also  great sensitivity in human interaction, observational skills ,  a pastoral sense, and closeness to the people God has entrusted to them.” 

But above all, he affirms that  the priest is a man of prayer . “The graces he receives, the fruits of his ministry, the effectiveness of his preaching and all his pastoral work do not come solely from his own effort, but from  his response to God’s grace . Ultimately, God is the one who accomplishes the work. We are merely his instruments.”

Therefore, to reach people’s hearts, whether they are young people or those furthest from God,  a life of prayer is essential . “We must follow the path God shows us, listen to and understand the voice of his sheep, protect them with our own lives, and love them. Ultimately, there’s not much to reinvent the wheel:  it’s simply about following in the footsteps of Christ,”  concludes this Brazilian seminarian.