The history of Julio César Morillo Leal It is the story of a man willing to sacrifice everything, who decided to put his successful professional career on hold in his native Venezuela to courageously answer God’s call to become a priest.
He studied theology for five years in Pamplona at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra and lived at the Bidasoa International Seminary. In 2022, he completed his studies and returned to his diocese in Cabimas, Venezuela, where he completed his training and was ordained a priest on December 3. He is currently the pastor of the Niño Jesús Parish in San Timoteo.
Julio grew up as the older of two brothers in a modest family. His early years were marked by the care, affection, and deep tranquility of rural life, sheltered by the love of his grandparents. However, fate had a radical turn in store for him when the time came to move with his parents to the city.
The clash was not only geographical but also emotional. Family life began to fall apart, turning the home into a complex environment. As Julio himself recalls: «The change in atmosphere was extremely hard; the peace I was used to vanished, and moments of tranquility at home began to grow scarce.».
Adolescence became a minefield for him because of the constant disagreements between his parents. When he turned 15, the tension at home became so suffocating that Julio even considered a desperate solution: leaving home to escape the conflict.
That critical moment coincided with his parents’ divorce. Far from running away or letting the situation get the better of him, the breakup redefined his role. Julio decided to stay and commit to being the main source of support for his mother and younger sister, proving that even in the midst of a storm, it’s possible to find the maturity needed to protect those you love most.
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.
He chose to study engineering because he was passionate about numbers, and that's why his dreams were based mainly on graduate with a degree in engineering, so that later I could not only work in the field but also teach at the university level.
A vocation is a strictly personal journey. For Julio, his faith was nurtured from a young age through active service in church movements in Venezuela, such as youth ministry, Cursillos de Cristiandad, and the Legion of Mary. However, it was with the Family Encounters of Venezuela that he devoted much of his years of service.
Paradoxically, this movement focuses on preparing for marriage and building a home—a path that Julio had already adopted as his ideal goal, complementing it with his professional aspirations.
«My life's journey was focused on that path, which led me to believe that this was also what God wanted for me.».
Convinced that family life and professional success were the ultimate fulfillment of his faith, Julio moved forward with a steady stride, unaware that his calling still held other nuances.
Julio achieved what many would consider the pinnacle of success: he graduated with a degree in petroleum engineering, worked in his field, and became a college professor. At a relatively young age, he was admired by his friends and was the pride of a family that celebrated each of his achievements.
However, professional fulfillment did not translate into personal fulfillment. Behind his brilliant career, an existential crisis began to take shape, challenging his own plans. As he himself admits: «I thought this would be what would make me truly happy, but in reality I felt empty and sensed that I was called to something more.».
That dissatisfaction wasn't a hindrance, but rather the driving force that prompted him to pause, question the direction he was heading, and focus all his energy on discovering his true purpose in life.
Coming to terms with the fact that a successful project did not equate to fulfillment was a hard blow. However, this clash with reality prompted Julio to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery. Accompanied by his spiritual director, he made the most difficult decision a brilliant professional could make: to let go of control and place his future in God’s hands.
During that process, he had a fundamental realization about how he had managed his life up to that point: «I mapped out what I wanted for my life and followed that plan until I achieved it. But my life felt a little empty. I realized that, although I had carried out my plan, I had never submitted it to God to see if that was what He truly wanted for me; rather, my prayers were only about asking for help to carry it out, and I feel that God allowed me to fulfill it,» he says.
Once I had adopted this new perspective, the events began to fall into place, and the message became unmistakable: The Lord asked him for complete devotion.
Answering this call required Julio to make a radical break. He had to give up his job, his engineering career, and his studies. The most difficult step, without a doubt, was facing resistance from his own family, who at first did not understand such a drastic change. The old structure had fallen away to make way for his true mission.
A quote from St. John Bosco
The announcement of his decision sparked a predictable storm: his family’s harsh rejection. To those around him, giving up a well-established career was not an act of faith, but a sign of confusion. For Julio, breaking with others’ expectations meant having to bear, for a time, the looks of disappointment and sorrow from his loved ones, who did not understand the value of starting from scratch.
In the midst of that emotional isolation, a maxim from St. John Bosco It became his guiding principle and refuge, though slightly adapted from the original (When it comes to serving God, you must be willing to sacrifice everything): «When it comes to following your calling, you must be willing to sacrifice everything.».
So he made the decision to embark on this adventure of the priestly vocation, and God gradually took charge of putting everything in its place, supporting his family, and filling the void Julio had left in their lives.
«I have felt the mercy God has shown me by calling me, and that is why I began my priestly formation »a little over six years ago, and to this day I am very happy to see that the dream God has had for me is coming true, despite my weaknesses.".
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.
Given this whole situation, 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.
As a result, they have set up soup kitchens and care centers and have provided medicine, among other things, which allows them to show solidarity with the faithful who, at this time, need more than just the sacraments.
In addition to 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.
For Julio, the transformation of his country is not a utopia divorced from faith, but a commitment that stems from spiritual life. He believes that prayer is the most powerful tool for bringing about true change in Venezuela, provided that it translates into concrete actions aimed at the common good, setting aside individual interests in order to live out the commandment of love.
Based on this conviction, community and formative life includes a daily prayer for the future of the nation, especially for those who bear responsibility for Venezuela’s political direction. As he often emphasizes: «Prayer is the best way to bring about change in the country, and from there, to take concrete actions that lead to the pursuit of the common good.».
This petition seeks a new path toward progress for Venezuela, where citizens’ fundamental rights—such as the rights to life, education, health, and work—are guaranteed, and policies are implemented to revive the national economy.
Under the protection of Our Lady of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela, Julio and his community entrust the fate of their homeland to divine intercession. They also offer their prayers that the Lord’s call may continue to resonate powerfully in the hearts of Venezuela’s youth, inspiring more young people to give a generous “yes” that will enable them to continue building up the Church in their homeland.
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