Seminarian Jaime Zuazo: 'Take advantage of the time to serve God no matter where you are'

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Jaime Zuazo

TOOELE — Jaime Zuazo had God in his heart when arrived in Utah with his family in 1992 from La Huerta, Jalisco, Mexico, when he was 12 years old.

He knew he wanted to serve God and his people, but wasn’t  sure how.

At a young age Zuazo became involved with the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s Hispanic ministry and the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish youth group. He also went through the four-year program to become a certified lay ecclesial minister through the diocese’s Emaus program.

It wasn’t until he attended a Charismatic Renovation retreat in 2009 that his vocation to the priesthood became evident.

“My response [to the call] was a bit reserved,” he said, although it did push him to get more involved with  service to the Church.

As he graduated with honors from high school and earned two community college degrees, the priesthood calling became stronger and stronger every day in Zuazo’s life.

In 2017 Zuazo became involved with the diocesan Youth and Young Adult Ministry. He participated in the production, direction and filming of a video clip for a contest of the V Encuentro with the young adults of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish. He also led the parish group in different retreats and events. In addition, he guided reflections at different young adult retreats all over the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City.

 “I also decided to knock on the door of the diocesan vocations office,” he said.

The son of Arturo Zuazo and Reyna Alcaraz, he has seven sisters and a brother. When he shared his vocation to the priesthood with his family, they were surprised but supportive, he said.

“Thanks to their life example, I had the opportunity to feel and know God’s greatest love. [My family] have always supported me in all my decisions and this time they also did, but they were a bit nervous,” he said.

Despite their worries, Zuazo’s family has walked next to him on his long path to the priesthood. Getting accepted to the seminary was another challenge that Zuazo faced, but with patience and love for God and his people he took it as another life lesson.

“It has been a road full of challenges, of knocking on lots and lots of doors, of waiting, of preparing more and more, of conquering fears and navigating the immigration world,” he said.

That waiting taught him perseverance and to keep preparing for when the time was right.

“All those challenges taught me to value more my family and to enjoy whatever life throws your way,” said Zuazo, who now is in his second year at Mount Angel Catholic Seminary.

“I feel at peace and with lots of joy for being able to walk the path to my most precious dream of becoming a priest,” he said.

Every summer the diocesan seminarians are assigned to serve at the different parishes throughout Utah. This year, Zuazo has been assigned to St. Marguerite Parish in Tooele, where “I am learning to serve and live with a bigger family, and to rediscover God’s face in all,” he said.

Zuazo said that he cannot express with words all the gratitude that he has to all of those who have supported him through his long path to the priesthood. He also encourages any person who is discerning a religious vocation to not give up, despite any challenges they may face.

“Never give up, always keep on, take advantage of the time to serve God no matter where you are, and always keep on learning and preparing,” he said adding that it’s important to “listen to God; he’s always guiding us and he gives us what we need at the right time.”

In addition, Zuazo is thankful for all the prayers on the behalf of him and all the seminarians, and he thanks God for all the good and the not so good.

“I will also ask people to keep on praying for us [seminarians]; we are praying for all,” he said.

Looking forward to his ordination, Zuazo said that he expects to keep on serving the People of God in Utah.

“With all my heart it is my desire to serve all the People of God in Utah, with humbleness and love with all the respect that all our people deserve,” he said.