Martín Fabián Miranda Gularte is a priest of the Diocese of Salto in Uruguay.
His vocation began as a child, his family says that he always said he wanted to be a priest even without really knowing all that it meant.
When he was a child, his family had to move to Argentina and the first thing they did was to enroll him in a parochial school, where he got to know Jesus better and deepened his faith.
This integration into the life of the parish led him to form a friendship with the parish priest who would later help him in his vocational discernment process. The figure of the priest was key, since he entered the seminary when he was only 13 years old.
"I discovered in the seminary what would become my second great family. That family that is gestated around the bonds that faith gives us, around the father figure of God who gives us infinite love.
As I grew, so did my friendship with Jesus.
When the time came, I returned home to the diocese of Salto in Uruguay. There I finished my formation studies at the Interdiocesan Seminary of Montevideo.
Once again I meet a family, the seminary family.
On April 6, 2013, the most fundamental moment arrived: my consecration to the priestly vocation and therefore, my ordination. I remember that day as very special, not only because of the important moment. But also because I was accompanied by more than 1,500 people from the diocese. This made it a celebration not only for me, but for everyone in the community.
From that moment until this year, when my bishop sent me to continue my formation in Rome, I have been a priest in a parish for the last seven years.
I have learned to be a priest, I have accompanied the people, their faith processes and I have learned a lot from them. But above all, what has remained engraved in my heart is the dedication, the love for Jesus of each one of them and everything they gave to the Church: their service, their prayer or their faith commitment.
Being here in Rome, I have responded to the call of God who asked me for a new challenge and, as every new challenge, it implies a surrender. I count on God's grace in this new commitment.
Something that I have discovered in my life and that has accompanied me is that every step I have taken has always been accompanied by the love of God and also by the love and dedication of many people.
I would not be a priest because of the dedication of many people who through their prayers, love and commitment have helped me on my way.
I understand that being here in Rome is a privilege but it is also thanks to many people who accompany me with their prayers, their affection and their generosity.
We also commit our whole life to deepening our knowledge of theology, but we do not forget that our life has meaning insofar as we give it to God for the good of our brothers and sisters".
