Fr. Luis Oblitas Guerrero

Ordained | June 18, 2022

Where are you from?

Lima, Peru.

Tell us more about your journey and how you became connected to the Augustinians.

My mother worked at the San Agustín school in Lima. So, my brother likes to say that we are Augustinians from our mother’s womb! At school, I was baptized by an Augustinian friar and I had communion and confirmation there as well. Out of nowhere, in my last year of high school my older brother decides to enter the convent. When I first saw him approach God it seemed strange to me because he initially asserted himself as an agnostic. He went from refusing to do his confirmation to living in a retreat and the rest, as they say, is history. It was like a plot from a movie. I found it not only strange but also painful because I am really close to my brother.

My brother is someone who I trust and know, so hearing him speak about God’s love and providence impacted me much deeper than hearing it from any other person. I joined a youth group called Communio, which was a beautiful experience because I got to interact with lay people whose goal in life was to become saints. This was a turning point for me because it made me think that maybe even I could be called to sainthood and that left a deep impression on me. My group was radically committed to their faith, and they preached and prayed in public and exhibited a strong devotion to worship.

I felt called to spend my time inside the chapel and the more time I spent in there, the more intensely this feeling grew. This new urge pulled me into seeking out more intimate spaces to pray to God, to be alone with him. I really enjoyed those spaces and the private time

I spent in prayer and contemplation. So while I was attending college, I started discerning this call from the Lord. It did not begin as an express call to religious life, it was just me wanting more of God and trying to find ways to feel his presence more. I wanted a deeper union with God, more intimacy, more cherished moments between him and I. Once I decided that this was my calling there was no other place to go than to the Augustinians, the order that spiritually raised and cared for me.

What is your favorite thing about your culture/country?

If there is something we coastal Peruvians are proud of, it is our food! For us there is nothing better than Peruvian food. Along the coasts we have a very well-known dish that consists of fish cooked in lemon with chili and a little bit of onion. As you move along the coast, different regions serve it with different ingredients. It tastes incredible.

What facet of your culture do you think can enrich the Order for the better?

The smiles on our faces, our innate happiness. On the coast we are naturally full of joy, and a lot of that joy can be attributed not just to the weather, but to the music. We listen to music such as salsa and criolla, which has a lot of African influence and an upbeat, vivacious energy to it. Here in Chulucanas the closeness of the people here is incredible. The children come and hug me and their parents bring me gifts. And this affection is so beautiful, I really enjoy it. It ties in with the Augustinian focus on friendship. It can be found inside of our charism, we have one soul and one heart that is forever seeking God.