Rafael Brasil is a seminarian of the Archdiocese of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"My family has always been Catholic, so my mother, sister and I attended Holy Mass every Sunday. But it was around my 18th birthday that I began to work more actively in the parish, helping with retreats and formations, then as a catechist, and soon the priest called me to help with liturgical celebrations as an acolyte. At that time, however, I would not even allow myself to think about pursuing a priestly vocation.
What awakened me to God's call to me was the news of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, which, coincidentally, came on my birthday. I experienced uncertainty, like most of the Catholics I met, but I had to put aside my worries to help those who felt lost with the news. And so it was that, for the first time, I thought about the priesthood, which would be a way to help the Church and the people of God in an ongoing way, as I felt compelled to do at the time.
Then I began my vocational journey and, in 2014, I went to the propaedeutic seminary, entering the Seminary of São José, in Rio de Janeiro, the following year. There I studied philosophy and, in my last year of this formative stage, I was invited by the Cardinal, the auxiliary bishops and the formators of the seminary to continue my formation in Spain, in Bidasoa.
At first it was a difficult decision, it was never in my life plans to live outside my city, but, trusting in the things that Christ had prepared for me, I came to Pamplona. And as soon as I arrived, I saw that it had been the right decision. On the morning of my first day in Bidasoa, still getting to know the place and the people, the director introduced himself to me and asked:
- What can I call you?
- Rafael Brazil. - I answered. And he continued:
- No. That's your name. I want to know what they call you at home, in your family ...
- Ah yes, "Rafa".
- Welcome, Rafa. I'll call you that, because we are a family here too. You are at home.
And it is very true that most of the seminarians and formators here call me Rafa.
Yes, I'm home."
