"I am Father Richard Legaspi Balando from the Philippines, Diocese of Catarman, Northern Samar. I was born in the year 1997, September 23. I am already 27 years old.
My mother's name is Ida and my father's name is Oscar. I have three brothers and I am the youngest. Before entering the seminary, I spent 5 years as an altar boy in my parish and that is where my vocation was born. I have known priests and seminarians in different dioceses who helped me in my vocation. The love of serving God began when I was an altar boy in my parish for five years.
During those years, I always went to Mass every Sunday. I really enjoyed going to Mass so much that I felt I wanted to celebrate Mass one day as my parish priest.
I have met seminarians and priests in my parish who have become my best friends. Because of my curiosity and desire to enter the seminary, I asked them to tell me something about seminary life. Their stories made me happy and inspired me to enter the seminary. Their vocation stories are full of the moment with God. Through meeting them, the possibility and desire to give myself to the service of Christ and His Church began to grow in me.
I entered the seminary in 2014. And just ten years later I was ordained a priest. I am newly ordained. Now I am already doing my degree in canon law. All this has been possible by the grace of God and especially by the help of the CARF Foundation which has been God's instrument of his generosity."
