The priest Miguel Mullen lives in the Argentinean archdiocese of Mendoza, one of the largest in the country and located in the plains east of the Andes, in the westernmost part of the South American country. At 49 years of age, this religious belonging to the Prelature of Opus Dei is what today is called a late vocation, since he was ordained a priest in 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the road that has led him to the priesthood has been long, because for a long time he had felt a vocational restlessness that finally resulted in this call to be a priest, whose dream he was able to fulfill the day he was ordained in Rome.
He lives in Argentina, his native country, a nation that for some time now has been suffering a complicated situation, both politically and economically, as well as socially and religiously. "Argentina is going through a crisis of confidence in its currency, with high inflation. This leads to people in a dependent relationship losing the purchasing power of their income throughout the year, until their salaries are adjusted. The situation is very unfavorable for the lower and middle class", he explains in an interview with Fundación CARF.
Regarding the religious situation, Don Miguel Mullen believes that it is difficult to generalize. He assures that "on the one hand, in Mendoza, where I live, I notice that few families from the school where I work attend Sunday Mass. The children who have already received their First Communion, for example, would like to go, but their parents do not take them". But he also clarifies that when he has had to replace parish priests on Sundays, he has "found committed communities and good attendance at Mass".
In this interview with CARF Foundation talks about his vocational call, his life as a priest and his experience of studies both in Pamplona and in Rome.
How did you receive the faith? Don Tino (Constantino Gargallo) baptized me a week after I was born. This same Spanish priest, a member of Opus Dei, married my parents. My mother, Nancy Taylor, was not Catholic, but Protestant. She met an Opus Dei Center in Buenos Aires. There she decided to make her profession of the Catholic faith. It was a very deep and courageous conversion. My father, Miguel Mullen, was raised in a Catholic family. The contact with adversity made him mature and he was a good man who radiated warmth and joy. In my family there was always a Christian atmosphere, full of naturalness.
And how did your call to the priesthood come about? On the occasion of a Holy Thursday, in the city of La Plata, I began to perceive the call to the priesthood. During the washing of the feet, something like a proposal from the Lord to wash the feet of others through the sacrament of Confession came to my soul. This restlessness persisted for many years. I kept expressing it to the Prelate of Opus Dei in various letters and also to the Regional Vicar. Around 2015 I insisted again; it was clear to me that my vocation as a numerary was not incomplete because I was not a priest. But one tries to be faithful to the suggestions that come to us from above....
I had to wait about 20 years from that Holy Thursday until my ordination. I do not hold the slightest reproach for the delay, because the vocation to the Work brought me only joys.
You studied in Pamplona as well as in RomeHow was your experience there? Due to my age and my assignments in Argentina, I completed a degree in Moral and Spiritual Theology at the University of Navarra. With an exceptional plan, I only traveled during exam periods to study and take exams. I loved the campus and the atmosphere of the Faculty of Theology.
He lived in the Colegio Mayor Aralar. After exams, I took advantage of the sports facilities to play soccer and tennis. On Thursdays I had to go out for pinchos and enjoy the magnificent city of Pamplona.
After my licentiate, I took my doctorate in Moral Theology in Rome, at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. There I enjoyed some classes, those necessary to earn credits for the doctorate. I especially appreciated the presence and the sharing of classes in a cosmopolitan environment. Despite my rudimentary Italian, I was able to attend some classes on virtue ethics, given by Don Angel Rodriguez Luño. A great teacher. I was also lucky to find a great rapporteur for my thesis, the Uruguayan priest Arturo Bellocq. Along with his human quality, I perceived a solid academic competence.
Are there any outstanding situations that you remember from these years? In my case, the pandemic was somewhat to my advantage. I was able to concentrate on my doctorate and immediate preparation for the priesthood. On the other hand, my ordination was in September 2020. The presbytery of the Church of St. Eugene (Rome) was full of priests with masks on, at a safe distance. Even Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who ordained us, and even our Prelate, Don Fernando Ocáriz.
Flights from America were cancelled in their entirety. For that reason, the deacons coming from America had to offer to the Lord the absence of our relatives. It was a note of sadness in a heavenly context.
What have been the most memorable moments you have experienced in your time as a priest? My first months as a priest were spent in Madrid. The main pastoral task assigned to me was to replace Don Felipe, an associate priest in the presbytery of the Opus Deiwho was hospitalized due to an infection. Three times a week he helped out at St. Josemaría Parish in Alcorcón. There he celebrated one of the Sunday Masses and spent many hours in the confessional.
Shortly after my arrival, I learned through the media that Don Javier Contreras, the parish priest, had suffered an assassination attempt. A man about 25 years old, out of his mind, surprised him at dawn, wielding a knife. He told him that he was going to kill him and for about five minutes they had a hand-to-hand fight.
Thanks to God and to the human and spiritual strength of Don Javier, he suffered only three stab wounds. I was shocked because during the afternoon of that day, once he was discharged, the parish priest celebrated Holy Mass. He was not in his 30s but in his 70s. In his homily, he told his parishioners that he wholeheartedly forgave his assailant. He was next to the protagonist of the movie The Great 2 Torino.
Another remarkable moment came when I was ministering to high school students at the Fuenllana School. I remember the joy of perceiving both the girls' trust in the priest and my own joy in imparting the sacrament of Reconciliation. In fact, the grayest days for me were when no one came to confession and the hours dragged on.
- In your opinion, what does the priest need to face the many challenges and dangers he faces? I have only been ordained for a few years, but I think that a priest needs to cultivate friendship with Christ through prayer. He also needs to rely on the Eucharist; to seek strength and consolation there in difficult moments.
We have the same weaknesses as any man. I believe that deciding to have spiritual accompaniment is very wise because we priests also need listening, understanding and encouragement.
I also find it useful to invest in doctrinal and moral formation. From good reading to watching a lecture on a current theological topic. I also add that I enjoy very much the meetings with other priests. In Mendoza, the diocese organizes general meetings of the clergy, where one cultivates priestly fraternity. We also do something similar in the deanery of Guaymallen, once a month. One marvels at the good life of many priests.
- Would you like to say something to the benefactors of the CARF Foundation? You are helping in the forging of the priests of Jesus Christ. That is priceless. God will keep it in mind and you will never regret it.
