Through knowledge of the Scriptures they came to Catholicism.
Scott's father, a Pentecostal missionary, used to remind them that God loved them and had a plan for their lives. A plan they would understand through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and knowledge of the Scriptures. In fact, the Borgman children memorized Scripture verses from a very young age, which has been a great help to Scott in his understanding of God and His design for salvation.
It was through the Scriptures that they came to understand a very revolutionary concept for them as Protestants and members of the Pentecostal Church: the idea that the Catholic Church had been founded by Jesus Christ and that, contrary to what they had been taught in the Pentecostal Church, today it was faithful to all the teachings that Christ had entrusted to it. Although they had a very deep knowledge of the ScripturesThey realized that they lacked the essential understanding of the origin of the Bible and who was qualified to interpret it.
"I fell in love with the Eucharist"
The Sacred Scriptures, inserted in the context of the liturgical celebrations Catholic teaching, gave them the clarity they had long sought. It was a real relief for them to discover the magisterial interpretation of the Church that guarantees the authentic meaning of the Scriptures as understood by the Fathers of the Church. These answers opened them to the sea of the fullness of Christian faith that is the Catholic Church. Scott began to attend Mass and, although he never received Holy Communion, conscious of St. Paul's warnings, he fell madly in love with the Eucharist. She began attending daily for two years before receiving the sacrament.
At first he didn't know when to stand up or what was happening at the altar, but every time he came out, he had a deep sense of peace. He received his First Holy Communion in 2003, at the age of 32, and was so hungry for the Eucharist that he even bit the fingers of the bishop who gave it to him!
Once in the Catholic Church, his horizons broadened, leading him to a true intimacy with God, to a holiness beyond his prejudices, happiness in spite of obstacles and joy through the cross. It gave his soul and mind a place to expand and grow. He soon discovered that the Catholic Church holds the answers to every question of the human condition, to every question in the hearts of Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and even atheists and the multitude of other Christians. woke. Through the Catholic Church, God has provided the answers to the loss of a family member, to the suffering in this world, to broken families, to wars, to floods, even to excessive wealth, to the alarming lack of culture... to every question that arises in the human soul.
Prior to converting to Catholicism, Scott had never heard of the celibacy I did not even know that there were priests in the Pentecostal Church, of the possibility of a total surrender of oneself to God and to the Church. I didn't even know that priests existed, nuns and monks.
After his conversion from the Pentecostal Church, he met priests and nuns who were completely dedicated to God and happy with their vocations. This intrigued him to such an extent that he began to study lives and teachings of saints. He learned that the design of love that the Holy Trinity has for each one of us implies an intimacy with Christ that embraces every moment of the day and fills our hearts with the love for which we were created.
His experience with the sacraments was so profound that he wanted to be able to offer these same joys and graces in order to bring many souls to Christ, and in this way he felt his call to the priesthood. So he decided to move to France to enter the seminary in Toulon, the diocese where he was ordained.
In the pro-life movement
While in Rome, where he studied for several years thanks to a scholarship from the CARF Foundation, still as a deacon, the Church entrusted him with a mission: to be the coordinating secretary for the Pontifical Academy for LifeHe has worked especially in the English- and French-speaking world. He held the position for six years. A few years that were key to developing his sense of the beauty of life from conception to natural death. The hundreds of scholars and committed souls fighting around the world for the protection and promotion of life led him to a new appreciation of the importance of pro-life laws, the provision of support for mothers in need, and the formation of consciences worldwide.
Return to the U.S.
With a training Scott returned to his home country, where he currently serves as judicial vicar of the Diocese of Orange. In addition, he is diocesan head of philanthropic causes, chaplain of a police department and holds several other positions that make him indispensable in this Californian diocese.
Universality of the Church
The universality and unity of the Catholic faith is unmatched by any institution on earth. As a Pentecostal convert it has been interesting to observe the various approaches to the faith and to discover, even within the formation of an international seminary, how Christianity, specifically from a Catholic perspective, has profound relevance to all cultures. Surprisingly, Catholicism appeals to all cultures and all language groups. The universality of Catholic dogmas with unity around the Holy Father is a beautiful and necessary desire of Our Lord.
Every country and culture brings its own unique and precious expression of the face of God in creation. Although it is impossible to generalize, there are particularities. As in France, where it is important to draw souls through their intellect. In the U.S., they want more a sense of belonging. AfricaThe Italian community, where he grew up, is lively, passionate and pious, while in Italy they are challenged to develop a rich historical and cultural context in a personal relationship with Our Lord.
Shortly after his ordination, in a church in Paris, he was astonished at the fact that he was able to listen to confessions where perfect strangers, but with great trust in God and in the Catholic Church, came to receive the grace of absolution. This is the incredible story of God's mercy lived every day. Every experience of the anointing of the sick, every baptism, every funeral becomes an essential part of the human experience of the divine. God has provided nourishment for our souls in the Eucharist and this wonderful experience of his Crucifixion lived at every altar throughout the world is an expression of God's eternal love.
"I love being a priest, I can't imagine doing anything else. I love being a priest, I can't imagine doing anything else. Heart of Our Lord Jesus in this world for the redemption of souls is a divine gift.".
Scott Borgman, a convert from the Pentecostal Church, now a priest.
Priests must be turned into gentlemen, not bachelors.
As judicial vicar for the Diocese of Orange in California, he often has to deal with complicated issues in the life of the Church, such as dealing with victims of misconduct or defending priests who have been accused, while protecting the rights of all involved. For Scott, in cases involving priests, it is clear that there has often been a lack of training as early as seminar.
Often, in seminaries and in the ongoing formation of priests, there is a lack of human formation. In most cases due to lack of resources, formators, etc. For Father Borgman, priests must be turned into gentlemen, not bachelors. To respond to this challenge, the seminar training It must be effective, ongoing, systematic, personalized and complete. Scott believes that one of the conditions for this divine gift of seminary formation to bear fruit is that the best priests of the diocese go out to be formed in the best places so that they can then become formators in their seminaries. Because the seminarists will become like those who form them.
"Of course, the challenge of pride is behind every sin, and we are not immune to the secularization the modern world suffers from. The prayer is the main support system, because when a priest stops praying he puts himself in grave danger. Mother Teresa said that the main temptation for priests is not sensuality, but money. That is why growing in holiness is only possible with the virtue of detachment."
