Julio César Morillo Leal is 33 years old and is a member of the Diocese of Cabimas, Venezuela. For the last two years he has been in Spain because his bishop sent him to study theology at the University of Navarra, in Pamplona, in order to receive an integral formation at that university and at the Bidasoa International Seminary. In this testimony he tells of his vocation, some of the problems his country is going through and the work of the Catholic Church in Venezuela.
Hello, my name is Julio César Morillo LealI am 33 years old and I am from the Diocese of CabimasVenezuela. I am the eldest of 2 brothers from a humble family. Since I was a child I received a lot of attention from my family because during the first years of my life I grew up with my grandparents in their town.
Then I went to live with my parents in the city and the change was very hard, because there were few moments when we could be in peace. My parents no longer understood each other very much and when I was about 15 years old, the situation was so difficult that I even thought about leaving home, but at that time my parents divorced and I stayed living with my sister and my mother.
From that age I had to assume certain responsibilities in my home and set different goals that led me to focus on achieving them with a lot of effort, dedication and hard work. I designed in such a way what I wanted for my life and I followed that plan until I achieved it.
I chose to study engineering because I am passionate about numbers and therefore my dreams were based mainly on graduate with a degree in engineering so that he could then not only practice in the field, but also teach at the university level.
Regarding my vocation I must say that each one has his own history and receives in a particular way the call of the Lord to follow him. In my case, since I was young I belonged to various movements and apostolic groups within the Church in my country such as Jovenmisión, Pastoral Juvenil, Cursillos de Cristiandad, Legión de María, and one in particular, Venezuelan Family Encounterswhere I served God for several years.
Curiously this movement focuses on the family and in the personal commitment to create a future family. This was the path my life project was focused on, while I always felt the God's presence in my professional project, which made me believe that this was also what God wanted for me.
I graduated as a Petroleum Engineer and practiced my profession in this field and as a University Professor. I was at the peak of my professional project: my family was very happy with the results I had obtained. and my friends were somewhat admiring of my accomplishments at such a young age.
I thought this would be what would make me fully happy, but in reality it was not. I felt a bit empty and I also felt that I was called to something else so I had to concentrate on finding out.
It was quite a shock to realize that my project had failed despite the success it had achieved so far and it was then when I undertook a quest that, with the help of my spiritual director I began by deciding to leave my future in God's hands and to let His Will be done in my life.
At that moment I realized that even though my plan, I had never submitted it for God's consideration. to see if that was what He really wanted for me, but only my prayer was based on asking for help to fulfill it and I feel that God allowed me to fulfill it.
From that moment on, several events began to take place in which I clearly saw that the The Lord asked me for total surrender to follow Him: leave my job, profession, studies, even my family, who at first did not agree.
My family's reaction was at first a severe rejection.. Obviously they did not understand the change it would mean to leave everything I had built up over the years to embark on a new path. Some considered it a sign of immaturity or confusion on my part, and I even felt that they viewed me with pity and disappointment.
There I remembered a great phrase of St. John Bosco that made me trust God more in the face of what I was going through: "When it comes to following your vocation, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything." Then I made the decision to embark on this adventure of vocation and God has gradually taken care of putting everything in place, accompanying my family and taking the place that I have left in them.
I have felt the mercy that God has had in calling me and that is why I began my formation a little more than 6 years ago, in which until now I feel very happy to see that the dream that God has had with me is being realized, in spite of my weaknesses.
Since he was a teenager, Julio César Morillo had to assume certain responsibilities in his home and set several goals that led him to focus on achieving them with a lot of determination, dedication and effort. "I designed in such a way what I wanted for my life and I followed that plan until I achieved it. But my life was a bit empty. I realized that, although I had made my plan, I had never submitted it to God for consideration to see if that was what He really wanted for me, but only my prayer was based on asking for help to achieve it, and I feel that God allowed me to fulfill it," she says.
The serious situation in which Venezuela finds itself is already evident.It is a victim of the most terrifying political system that has become a dictatorship, where human rights are violated, those who think differently are persecuted and there are numerous deprivations of liberty, which has affected the entire population, especially the most disadvantaged, children, the elderly, and orphans.
Most of the families are broken up because some of their members have had to migrate to other countries to work and support their families in Venezuela.
The minimum wage for workers is insufficient, The shortage and inability to obtain basic goods is really alarming, the lack of medicines and supplies in hospitals and health care centers, as well as lately the shortage of fuel for vehicles and the crisis caused by the current pandemic that threatens the whole world, has aggravated the situation in a country that was already going through the worst economic, political and social crisis in its history.
What worries me most is that those who could control this situation are the first to violate the constitution: the Supreme Court of Justice, the Armed Forces and other public powers that are clearly on the side of the government that illegitimately remains in power and controls the country at its convenience.
Within all this, the Venezuelan Church is doing a great job by trying to meet the needs of the population with the help of various international foundations that have shown solidarity with the situation in the country.
Thus, they have set up soup kitchens, assistance centers and have provided medicines, among other things, which allow them to show solidarity with the faithful who at this time need something more than the sacraments.
I also think that the apostolate groups are also responding positively They have dedicated themselves to the practice of various charitable works, helping the parish priests and showing the love and dedication to the things of God that characterizes them.
"Since I was young I belonged to various movements and apostolic groups within the Church in my country, such as Jovenmisión, Pastoral Juvenil, Cursillos de Cristiandad, Legión de María, and one in particular, Venezuelan Family Encountersin which I was serving God for several years. Curiously, this movement focuses on the family and on the personal commitment to create a future family, that is, that is where my life project was focused, while I always felt the presence of God in my professional project, which made me believe that this was also what God wanted for me", explains Julio César.
Prayer is the best means we have to bring about change in the country.and from it the realization of concrete actions that lead to the search for the common good, leaving aside particular interests and fulfilling the commandment of love that our Lord left us.
That is why we pray every day for those who have political change in their hands. The country would obtain a new direction towards progress, with guarantees of the fundamental rights of its citizens: life, education, health, work, as well as the development of new industry and trade policies that contribute to the recovery of the national economy.
What Our Lady of Coromoto, patron saint of VenezuelaMay the Lord's call continue to resound in the hearts of young people so that with their yes, we may continue to build our Church with God's help.
