Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
March 14, 2001
Toledo heard priestly call on pilgrimage
Name: Joseph Toledo Age: 20
Place of Birth: Bridgeport, Conn.
Parish: Sacred Heart
What or who inspired you to pursue a vocation to the priesthood?
What really moved me the most towards a vocation was the call of God in my life; also seeing the love of God and how he was always, and still is, there for me. I also received this call through the Neocatechumenal Way while on a pilgrimage in Loreto, Italy, in 1995. There was a "vocational call" and I stood up because I felt the call of God. I then saw through many events in my life how God was always calling me.
How do you see your future role as a priest in a Christian community?
I see my future role in a Christian community as one to bring the Gospel of salvation, just like I received it. I see that really to save people from their suffering and to really help people is to tell them of the love of God in their lives. I also see it as one of being disposed to do the will of God. For me it is a chance to show that God loved me unconditionally and that God has the capacity in all things to love the same way and that he has mercy. My job would also be to show that God never leaves the lives of people and that he loves all people as they are and that he wants everyone to experience this salvation.
What are your impressions of seminary life so far?
For me, the seminary has been a time that I needed to see who I am and is a time to prepare and become a priest. I see that through the formators that God has given me, and also through the other seminarians, that God wants to show me who I am and really wants to shape me into a Christian. I see the seminary as a time of formation, a time to see myself, and a time to learn. Up to this point the seminary has been good because I really learn and experience the mercy of God.
