Our Seminarians
Our Seminarians > Jose Andres Henriquez
Jose Andres Henriquez
Home Parish: Guardian Angel, Brighton Beach
Pastoral Year Parish:
Seminary: Cathedral Seminary Residence
It all started in my parish one Sunday morning, when my parish priest asked me “if I ever thought of becoming a priest”; I avoided the question, but later on I found myself thinking about the possibility of Priesthood more and more.
Like the Lord told Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. I said, "I know not how to speak; I am too young." But the LORD answered me. Say not, "I am too young." To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD. Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying, See, I place my words in your mouth!”
The first words after his election as Pope, his Holiness John Paul II said “Do not be afraid.” We are called to trust in the Lord. Jesus will guide us, for he is “the way, the truth, and the life.” We come to know the Lord through prayer. Pray, pray, pray; prayer is what one needs to do in order to discern a vocation to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. I would suggest that you go before the Most Blessed Sacrament, and ask the living God to show you the way. Look to our Blessed Mother, and ask for her guidance, to help find your true vocation. Trust, that Jesus will guide you every step of the way.
I am a convert from the Pentecostal tradition; so before I ever though of the priesthood or the seminary, I prayed and reflected on my relationship with Jesus Christ. My experience as being a member of the Movimiento de Jornada de Vida Cristiana helped me to discern a great deal. Prayer helped me to hear God’s calling in my life; prayer allowed me to hear the whisper of God’s invitation in the silence of my heart.
I entered seminary formation in 2007; after much prayer and reflection. Life as a seminarian is difficult, but at the same time very rewarding. Even after a hard day of school and study, one can end the day with prayer before our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
I want to serve the Church in Brooklyn and Queens; because this is where the Lord God wants me, and because this is where I fell in love with our Lord a Savior Jesus Christ. The whole world is in the Diocese of Brooklyn. What an opportunity it will be to serve the great people of this wonderful diocese. Holy Mother Church needs you. Behold, Christ stands at the door of your hear; the question is will you hear his calling, and let Him in? Finally, inscribe above the main entrance to the college seminary is a Latin quote: “Salus Animarum Suprema Lex”; which means, the salvation of souls is the supreme law. That is what a vocation to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ is all about!