José Alejandro

Intermountain Catholic

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My name is José Alejandro Camberos Santana and I am originally from Guadalajara, Mexico. I will say that faith is very important to everyone in discerning their vocation.

I remember when I was called to attend a discernment retreat I was a little reluctant; however, it was at that retreat when I heard about the story of many saints and martyrs who lost their lives because their faith was enough to trust in God’s promise of eternal life. When you have not heard anything about God, how can you have faith? Faith also helps to increase our every day calling. If you do not nurture your beliefs by practicing and sharing it, you will lose it. I am right now in my 10th year as a seminarian, and I have spent three of those in this Diocese of Salt Lake City.

I have a phrase that strikes me all the time: "We have to ask God every day where he wants us to be." And, because I am a seminarian of this diocese, I always have to have faith to listen to God’s will in my life. Nobody knows where I am going to finish my studies and where I will become a priest; only by faith I can say that I will be ordained a priest here in Salt Lake City.

I have shared my faith with many parishes and it helps me a lot because the more you share the more you learn from others. You can find so many ways that people express faith and it is a good tool for us as seminarians. I am also very sure that God will lead me through the best way in my preparation to the priesthood because of my faith.

I encourage all the faithful of our beloved diocese to pray for vocations to the priesthood because God has promised this, "I shall give you shepherds after my own heart, who will pasture you wisely and discreetly." (Jer. 3, 15)

José Alejandro Camberos is studying theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, Calif.