National Vocation Awareness Week: Diocese's newest seminarian wants to 'help people reach the holy life they have been created for'

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David Tellez

(Editor’s note: In honor of National Vocations Week, the Intermountain Catholic asked a few questions of David Tellez, the newest seminarian for the Diocese of Salt Lake City, who in September began studying at Mount Angel Seminary in Mt. Benedict, Ore., where many of the other diocesan seminarians attend. His responses follow.)

Where were you born?

I was born and raised in Mexico City.

Tell us a little about your family.

I grew up in a female-headed household, and even though my mother never attended university, she succeeded in raising her five kids. After my father passed away, she realized that she had to turn to the Catholic Church to raise her family according to a Christian way of life. So, she started practicing the sacraments as hardly ever before and ingrained in us an unwavering sense of faith in the Lord.

Where were you educated?

I spent my first 17 years at public schools and the rest of my studies in private schools. My educational experiences throughout my life have been, in general terms, meaningful and rewarding. Many good teachers have marked me with their seal characterized by a relish for truth. It gave me the necessary motivation to study philosophy at the National University of Mexico.

When/how did you discern your calling to the priesthood?

After practicing my career as a philosophy professor, I made a spiritual retreat in May of 2016 and figured out that the life of a diocesan priest can be an excellent way to channel my vocational concerns. I understood that a diocesan priest needs to be constantly in touch with ordinary people who require someone to bring them Jesus’ grace through the sacraments, but being an ordinary man, like them.

Why do you want to be a priest?

I have considered becoming a priest to serve the Lord and his Church by making available to the faithful the healing and transformative power of the holy sacraments. Furthermore, I want to put myself in the best spiritual conditions to bear a Christian life, helping the people to reach the holy life they have been created for.  

How did you become a seminarian for the Diocese of Salt Lake City?

I got in touch with the diocese with the help of some priests on the West Coast. I spent two months last winter living in Salt Lake City, visiting several parishes and getting to know the active and faithful Catholic community in that city.

What advice do you have for youth who may be discerning a call to the religious life?

I would advise them to be completely aware of what it involves to be a priest – his identity, his responsibilities, and letting oneself be transformed by the hands of God, who knows us better and wishes our happiness through our holiness.

Will all your seminary education be at Mt. Angel, or will you also study somewhere else such as Rome, for example?

For now, I will make the most of my theology education at Mt. Angel, and I would like to keep developing my English as a second language. But since I speak Italian and have a great desire to experience Catholicity in the companionship of other seminarians of the world, studying a part of my theological formation in Rome (where fellow diocesan seminarian Oscar Marquina is studying at the Pontifical North American College) might give me many tools to become a good priest. But as occurs in these cases, my bishop has the last word in this regard.

When will you be ordained a priest?

If I persevere in my studies, I might be ordained in four years, considering that I have concluded my philosophy studies.

What are you looking forward to the most in your service in our diocese?

I would like to know much better its diverse apostolates and ministries. Parish priests need the faithful’s support to cope better with their pastoral needs. As in marriage, life in a diocese entails a mutual receptivity, cooperation of strength and talent between the faithful and priests so that a parish may work and bear fruits.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

One of the most challenging aspects of being a seminarian or religious is learning how to deal with loneliness. It is necessary to learn how to face up to this issue from the beginning. For this purpose, it may be a healthy approach to keep one’s family roots and find fitting spaces to foster interpersonal relationships.