At the age of five, he saw Pope John Paul II on television, very weak, and, moved, he said to his mother: “Mom, I want to be the next Pope.” From then on, the idea of the priesthood was on his mind.
His mother took his tender and childish words as a funny joke. But when he began to think about being a priest, his parents became worried. For them, the priest does not bring money or fulfill their desire to be grandparents.
“The next Pope” and immense peace
Noel remembers that image of the Pope on television. The charisma of Saint John Paul II was what lit the flame of his vocation, and allowed him to hear the call of the Lord. “A few years later, in my teens, I didn’t feel anything important in my life. However, everything changed when I entered the seminary: I felt a peace I had never felt before.”
“The Lord has triumphed”
Now, when his parents see him happy, Noel is convinced that the Lord has triumphed. “As they realized that I was becoming more and more firm in my decision, they gradually accepted it. Thanks to perseverance in prayer and the programs offered by the seminary, they fully accept it and are happy with my call to be a priest, and they make efforts to pray for me and encourage me every step of my way,” Noel recounts.
His brother Dexter, however, is the one who has fulfilled his parents’ dream of being grandparents because he is married, has two children and is an accountant like his father.
Praying for children
This young seminarian says that, although he felt a certain emptiness in his life during his adolescence, he has never experienced a crisis of faith: “Thank God I did not go through any rebellion when I was a teenager, but what I do know is many people who abandoned the faith and have returned to the Church. A message I have for families who go through the suffering of seeing their children move away from God: pray for them.”
Noel reminds us that faith is a grace that we have received from God and that it only comes from Him, but with our perseverance, when praying for our lost brothers, “the Holy Spirit will help them. Therefore, we must not lose faith in our God.”
Catholicism in the Philippines, one of the largest
The Philippines has always been the center of Catholicism in Asia, but now it is also suffering from the crisis of secularism and indifference.
“Catholicism in the Philippines could be one of the largest, but it also has its weaknesses. There is a growing need for good catechesis and solid formation to maintain and reinforce the Gospel that we have received throughout history,” says Noel.
200 priests for a million Catholics
One of the concerns of his diocese is how to reach people and specific groups effectively and meet their own spiritual needs.
“It is a bit difficult for us that less than 200 priests help more than a million Catholics in my diocese, and be able to provide them with adequate formation,” says this young seminarian with the hope of being a good priest.
Evangelizing in the 21st century
Therefore, to evangelize in the 21st century, he considers that the main characteristics of a young priest of this time are prudence, effectiveness in his ministry and reaching out to the most needy in his parish.
“Priests must be true men, well-formed, emotionally and intellectually, and capable of facing life, being holy priests. “Priests must be men who have a heart similar to that of Christ,” he says.
Studying in Navarra, a dream
Noel is studying 3rd year of Theology at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of Navarra and is a seminarian who resides and trains at the Bidasoa International Seminary. He considers that studying at the University of Navarra is a dream.
For all this, he is very grateful to the benefactors of the CARF Foundation for the help received, and for the mission of training priests well so that they can serve in their own dioceses. “May God bless you. Thank you all very much, we will never stop praying for you.”
