April 21, 2000 • Special to The Catholic News & Herald
A Mosaic of Seminary Life Resolved in his calling: Rev. Mr. Luis Osorio ev. Mr. Luis Osorio is an early riser, but his calling to the priesthood didn’t exactly come at the sunrise of his vocational discernment. Now 42, Rev. Mr. Osorio experienced a variety of professional choices before answering that call to ordained ministry in the church. A native of Colombia, South America, he will be ordained in June as one of seven new priests to serve the Diocese of Charlotte. “My parents made the effort to pay for my studies, and after I graduated, I had nice jobs,” says Rev. Mr. Osorio, who worked in a government office and a sugar refinery in Colombia. “But I felt that I was missing something here,” he adds, pointing to his heart. “I was looking for something else.” It was during a trip to visit his sister in Statesville back in 1988 that Osorio’s path to the priesthood slowly began to unveil itself. Father Joe Waters, long known in the Charlotte Diocese for his work with Hispanics, was pastor at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Statesville at the time. Osorio felt an
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Conversion of faith: Rico De Silva Perhaps nobody is more surprised by the priestly vocation of Rico De Silva than Rico himself. At 34 and now in his second year of studies, Rico describes his former self as a party-boy with a eye for the women, a taste for drinking and somewhat reckless living. “I was a fallen-away Catholic, even though I had gone to Catholic school all my life,” says De Silva. “I stopped practicing my faith right after graduating from high school.” Certainly a lifetime away from the Rico today, who rises before dawn for a personal holy hour to start his day. Panamanian-born De Silva came to the States in 1985, landing at Radford University in Virginia. Though he studied journalism, he found he had a nack for sales. He made his way to Charlotte, falling into a relationship that appeared to have him headed for the altar. His altar call took an abrupt tur n. He’d retur ned to the church on a casual basis, but something drew him closer. He found himself turning more and more to prayer. He questioned his relationship and was surprised to find himself pondering questions of the priesthood. “God had me in the palm of his hand,” says De Silva. Now in year two of formation, De Silva remains faithful to prayer and Eucharistic adoration as he continues his journey towards anticipated ordination in 2004. De Silva will bring much-needed bilingual skills to the diocese. His native Spanish will serve a diocese listed by the United States Catholic Conference as home for the largest Hispanic influx in the country. t
He said it was a life lesson on letinstant connection. ting God do the directing. “It was marvelous, because we He recalls a conversation with could relate in Spanish,” he says. “Since Father Frank O’Rourke, diocesan vocaI met him, his kindness, his friendship, tions director at the time Osorio entered the way that he relates with the people the seminary. “I asked him, ‘Father, why have been so special. He is a very holy did this happen to me so late?’” priest.” They laughed, and Father Osorio left Colombia in 1990, O’Rourke offered advice that stays relocating to Statesville and searchwith Osorio today: “‘It’s ing for a new career. Fanot your time. It’s God’s ther Waters asked him to time. God is a mystery, help with the immigrant and he works in mysteripopulation. Soon enough, ous ways.’” Father Waters brought With ordination just up the priesthood. weeks away, Rev. Mr. “Oh ... ,” says Osorio, Osorio is more resolved smiling at the memory. “I than ever in his calling. He said, ‘Father, why are you begins his mornings by 5 asking me that?’ I never with a holy hour, attends in my life thought of that. classes, enjoys a hike or a Never.” meal with friends, catches But in Father Waters, the evening news, spends Osorio found a mentor weekends in a parish pasand an example of faith. toral assignment, and He entered a four-year studies — a lot. period of prayer, during Rev. Mr. Luis Osorio June 2000 He says the opporwhich he felt the support tunity to serve a diocese of many. Finally, the call with such ethnic variety is appealing. he felt was strong enough to lead him “In our diocese, there is a big necessity to seminary life.
A new path: Chapin Engler In a 1995 commencement address at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, singer-songwriter James Taylor had this to say about his craft: “I thank God for music, and I thank music for God.” Those words are ones Chapin Engler can relate to, for it is through music that his journey toward the priesthood was initially orchestrated. “I had a conversion experience, and the beginnings of it were while I was singing,” said Engler, who was a cantor at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte for eight years. “It’s quite an odyssey how God just basically tapped me on the shoulder. I finally turned, and it was like he said, ‘Hey, you! I’ve been trying to get your attention for a long time.’” Engler had been struggling with his appreciation of the liturgy for a number of years, and it wasn’t until
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Profiles for bilingual priests,” he says. “Our population is multicultural, and we need to understand the language, the culture and the behavior of the people. The church is universal, and we have to include everybody in that family.” His life at seminary has been one of self-discovery, too. “I have looked at myself in the mirror and asked, “Who is Luis?’” he says. “‘What were the mistakes? What kinds of failures and doubts do I have?’ I came to understand that, and I forgave myself. Because I came to this place, I could do that.” “It’s something that moves your inner being,” he added. “If you know yourself, you can love yourself. And in that way, you can share that kind of love and understanding with others.” t
discernment process that would immerse him in a love of the church. That process would eventually take him away from a successful eight-year career as a stockbroker to St. Vincent Seminary, where Engler, now 37, prepares for the priesthood. Though he’d never have guessed it then, the faith struggles of his earlier years were lined with a heavenly plan. “There’s an incredible amount of peace that happens when you finally say, ‘Okay, Lord, I’ve made a mess of things. If you’ve got a better plan, I’ll do what you want me to do,’” he said. “When you get to that point, you never look back. “That’s a very unique and special place to be, and I think that is the peace of Christ. I want to communicate that message of God’s love to as many people as possible.” t
“It’s quite an odyssey how God just basically tapped me on the shoulder. I finally turned, and it was like he said, ‘Hey, you! I’ve been trying to get your attention for a long time.’” Unwavering Faith: Thomas Darcy homas Darcy wrestled with his calling for twenty years. That time frame just about covers his entire lifetime. At 31, Darcy is fulfilling his call to the priesthood as he studies at St. Vincent Seminary. “I felt the call for over 20 years,” said Darcy. “God is persistent.”
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In the interim years, Darcy received a degree in Archaeology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He spent time in a wide variety of professions, from broadcast TV to mental health. His is a faith that follows the magisterium to the letter. If it is written, then so let it be done. It is through this faith he sees little need for concern for the future. “The church was
he had the chance to serve as cantor that he returned to weekly Mass. His struggle continued, and then one Sunday, as he was singing, the lyrics and the music moved him to tears. “I was right in the middle of this song, I just started breaking down,” he recalls. “I said, ‘Lord, I don’t know what’s up with this, but I need to figure it out.’” That experience began an intense founded by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit,” said Darcy. Darcy describes himself as a gentle and loving man with many life experiences. “I believe [these experiences] will enable me to be empathetic towards most and sympathetic towards all. I desire to be a good and faithful servant.” t