Franklin Cavalcante is a seminarian from the Archdiocese of San Sebastian in Rio de Janeiro. He is 31 years old and has been studying for more than a year at the Bidasoa International Seminary and at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra, thanks to a scholarship from the CARF Foundation. He studied philosophy at the Pontifical University of Rio de Janeiro.
He is the only son of Joselina Severino de Lima and Vicente Cavalcante Inacio. His mother was more religious than his father and from her he learned the faith since he was a child. Seminarian Franklin tells us his vocation testimony.
In my youth I wanted to be a soccer player because I wanted to find the true path to happiness. After receiving my first communion, unfortunately, I moved away from the Church, rarely attending mass.
However, at the age of 18, at one of the few Masses I attended, I could hear God speaking to me.. Since then I began to take the Christian life seriously, entering a Chrism course. I received the sacrament of confirmation and began to help in the pastoral work of my parish as a catechist and preacher in the prayer group.
Little by little I discovered that Jesus Christ, the fullness of my life, was what made me truly happy. Until then, I had never thought of becoming a priest, but my pastoral work in my parish made me realize that the people needed pastors.
Therefore, I had a deep conversation with my parish priest and began my vocational journey. After two years of participating in vocational meetings, I discerned that the priesthood was my vocation and my path to happiness. To make Jesus Christ known and to make people friends of God is the mission I hope to carry out throughout my life.
I am convinced that the formation I am receiving will help me to become a priest of the 21st century who, in my opinion, must be first and foremost a friend of Christ who witnesses, with his life, to love for the Church and for souls.
I sincerely believe that the Bidasoa International Seminar is a blessing for our priestly formation. Here we receive very good formation to grow in friendship with Christ and, consequently, to mature in the priestly vocation. Experiencing the richness of the Universal Church, with so many brothers from different countries, is like living a "Pentecost".
Among the many positive aspects of our seminary, I would highlight the spiritual assistance. We participate in daily Mass, have time for personal prayer and frequent the sacrament of penance. We also receive a great deal of support for study, which is complemented by the three libraries that provide good study space, literature, philosophy and theology books.
I am also grateful for the patience of the professors at the University of Navarra to support and understand us in the difficulty of the language (that's why they speak slowly).
In these times in which we are living, a "change of era" as Pope Francis says, in which many young people are far from God, I think that in order to foster priestly vocations it is important, above all, the prayer of the Christian people so that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers. Moreover, it is indispensable that priests give witness to the beauty of the priestly vocation through a balanced and mature life.
At present, secularization and the irruption of Protestantism in Brazil are affecting the Catholic religion. For this reason, the Church has the mission, today more than ever, to announce the good news of Jesus Christ. Promoting the encounter of young people with the Person of Jesus, so that they may discover in Him the sure path to happiness, is very important. In the face of secularization, we must live the faith as witnesses of the Risen One and in the face of Protestantism, we must present the truth of the faith.
In this line, I believe that the most important apostolic needs of Rio de Janeiro are: the personal conversion of each Christian and, from this, to promote an evangelization that presents all the richness and truth that Jesus Christ entrusted to the Catholic Church.
Finally, I would like to thank the CARF Foundation and to all the benefactors for their generous help, because thanks to them, I can receive an integral formation in Bidasoa and at the University of Navarra. May God bless you and the Virgin Mary protect you. I pray for you.
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