At the age of five, he saw on television the very weak Pope John Paul II and, moved, he told his mother: "Mom, I want to be the next Pope". From then on, the idea of the priesthood was in his head.
His mother took his tender, childish words as an amusing joke. But when he began to think about becoming a priest, his parents became worried. For them, the priest does not bring money or fulfill their desire to be grandparents.
Noel remembers that image of the Pope on television. It was the charism of John Paul II that ignited in him the flame of his vocation and allowed him to hear the Lord's call. "A few years later, in my adolescence, I didn't feel anything important in my life. However, everything changed when I entered the seminary: I felt a peace that I had never felt before."
Now, when his parents see him happy, Noel is convinced that the Lord has triumphed. "As they realized that I was becoming more and more firm in my decision, they gradually accepted it. Thanks to perseverance in prayer and the programs offered by the seminary, they fully accept it and are happy with my call to the priesthood, and they make efforts to pray for me and encourage me every step of the way," Noel relates.
His brother Dexter, however, is the one who has fulfilled his parents' dream of grandparenting because he is married, has 2 children and is an accountant like his father.
This young seminarian assures that, although he felt a certain emptiness in his life during adolescence, he has never experienced a crisis of faith: "Thank God I did not go through any rebellion when I was a teenager, but what I do know is that many people have abandoned the faith and have returned to the Church. A message I have for the families who are going through the suffering of seeing their children moving away from God: pray for them.
Noel reminds us that faith is a grace that we have received from God and that only comes from Him, but with our perseverance in praying for our lost brothers and sisters, "the Holy Spirit will help them. Therefore, we must not lose confidence in our God".
Philippines The Philippines has always been the center of Catholicism in Asia, but now it is also suffering from the crisis of secularism and indifference.
"Catholicism in the Philippines might be one of the biggest, but it also has its weaknesses.. There is a growing need for good catechesis and formation to maintain and reinforce the Gospel we have received throughout history," says Noel.
One of the concerns of their diocese is how to reach individuals and specific groups effectively and address their own spiritual needs.
"We find it a bit difficult to have less than 200 priests helping more than a million Catholics. I want to be able to give them an adequate formation," says this young seminarian with the illusion of becoming a good priest.
Therefore, to evangelize in the 21st century, considers that the main characteristics of a young priest of this period is the prudence, effectiveness in his ministry and reaching out to the most needy in his parish.
"Priests must be true men, well formed emotionally and intellectually and able to face life being holy priests. Priests must be men who have a Christ-like heart," he says.
Noel is studying 3rd year of Theology at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of Navarre and is a seminarian who resides and is being trained at the Bidasoa International Seminar. Considers that studying at the University of Navarra is a dream.
For all these reasons, he is extremely grateful to the benefactors of the CARF Foundation the help received and the mission to train priests well to serve in their own dioceses. "May God bless you. Thank you all very much, we will never stop praying for you".
Marta SantínJournalist specializing in religious information.
