"A man of God"

I want to begin writing about a person who has played a very important role in my family. He is a priest of my parish, Papito (“Daddy” in Spanish).

Thirty years ago, Papito came from Spain, without imagining that Guatemala would become his home.

His first years in Guatemala, he lived in Las Verapaces, where he was mostly dedicated to render service to the natives in the midst of poverty and violence that were predominant during these years of civil war in the country.

The rest of his time, he has been devoted to work in the parish of San Martin de Porres located in Vista Hermosa, zone 15 of the capital.  This is where I met him.

Short of height, with a very dense beard, and elegant and serious visage no one has idea of what a wonderful person he is because of his great character and big generous heart.

Most of his service has been focused in social services promoting people in different places of the capital and in the rural areas of the country, mainly in Cahabon.

I met him several years ago, when with my family decided to adopt this parish as a second home.

Little by little I began growing fond of him.  It has not been difficult because when you encounter him for the first time and he gives you a hug, you are trapped by his charm as love at first sight.

The decision to write about him comes from my enthusiasm to listen to his anecdotes and stories. I am still amazed to hear of the ways how a person can be touched by the hand of God.

His vocation was born when he was a little boy.  Coming from a religious family, at the age of 5, he had already told his parents that he wanted to dedicate his entire life to serve God.

When he was 12, he entered the seminary and this is where his life adventure began.

He became a Dominican priest, and one of his tasks is to preach the Gospel as a missioner.  When he was 26, he was sent to America, and established in Guatemala.

He personally asked the Dominican authorities to be sent to Las Verapaces where he felt much identified with the people, as he told us:  “I fell in love with the land and its people.”

It was in Las Verapaces where he was ordained priest at the age of 29, and since that moment he has shared his life in the service going from here to there,  going back and forth from the capital to Cahabon, place he loves most dearly.

Since I was 6, I began participating in a special Eucharist celebration for children, on Sundays twice a month, and it was there where I met Papito.

I did not understand then what I was doing in church, I was very small, but I was pleased and felt happy when Papito came to us like a true friend and told us stories. I was amazed when he allowed us to get close to the altar and share with him the precious moment when he offers and raises the holy host.  It was very exciting.

Further, during my preparation for the sacrament of confirmation, I had the opportunity to know him better. 

Papito is very special with youngsters, he is always eager to join us in some activity.  He loves youth indeed.

It is very amusing to listen to Papito speaking, because he always tells good jokes and laughs a lot, also making fun of him.

I think Papito sets a good example for many people because he is always ready to serve and to help someone in need. When my great-grandmother died, he was celebrating Mass, and as soon as the celebration was finished, he called my parents to ask if they needed anything. He came to the funeral parlor and celebrated a beautiful mass as if he had been very close to my great-grandmother.

He likes to take part in a lot of activities as in the retreat for couples or the charity fair of the parish where he enjoys giving the blessing to pets people bring for the occasion.

He is usually very busy because he is responsible for and is in charge of many duties, always trying to provide for the needs of the parish.

It is not easy for people to find him in church, if you are lucky, you may find him praying the rosary in the garden, or walking along the parking lot with some of the sacristans looking after the church’s maintenance or seeing if there is something out of order, because of course, he likes everything to run smoothly and perfectly.

At present, I am working in the confirmation catechesis together with many other youngsters and have discovered the big treasure we have in church:  a man who decided to devote his life for the service of God and who could not be replaced easily if, for some reason, his mission takes him somewhere else.