Witness talks on vocations

LONG VALLEY  As a young boy, Father Joemin (Jayke) Parinas, parochial vicar of Our Lady of the Mountain (OLM) and St. Mark the Evangelist parishes here, couldn’t hear a call to the priesthood from God over the din of his many pets that included dogs, cats, parrots and hamsters. Instead, this self-described “animal lover” wanted to become a veterinarian in his native Philippines.

But God finally did make his call to Father Parinas loud and clear — and persistent — through the many detours in his early life in the Philippines — from three years working in the “real world” and dating a serious girlfriend to doubts about continuing his chosen vocation to the priesthood. He told his vocations story at a forum last month at OLM Church, “Hearing God’s Call.” Joining him that morning were two other men connected to OLM and St. Mark’s who shared very different calls to a vocation: Deacon Jim Jones, a permanent deacon of the two parishes, and Starli Castanos, a second-year theology student at Immacu­late Conception Seminary in South Orange. He is helped financially by the Long Valley Knights of Columbus, which includes St. Luke Parish also in town and sponsored the forum.

“A lot of the experiences that I’ve had, as well as my formation, have made me the person I am today. I am always in formation even as a priest, asking the Lord ‘Where am I going?’ ” said Father Parinas, who arrived in the U.S. in 2016 to complete studies to become a diocesan priest. Bishop Sweeney ordained him to the priesthood with four other men on Aug. 1 in his first ordination class as Bishop of Paterson. “Being a priest is not an easy task. We must sacrifice many things. International priests such as me are called to leave our families at home to follow in the footsteps of Jesus,” he said.

The three men spoke from the ambo of OLM Church after the parish’s first Saturday Celebration with includes 9 a.m. Penance, 9:30 a.m. rosary and Adoration and 10 a.m. Mass. A small congregation listened while practicing social distancing and wearing face masks. Others watched the event from home through livestreaming on OLM’s web site, https://ourladyofthemountain.org. The speakers talked about how they heard and acted on God’s call and gave advice about how people can listen to God’s invitation to a particular vocation.

“There is constant noise — so many voices influencing us. One voice needs to be heard: the voice of God,” said Father Parinas who was appointed to OLM and St. Mark’s in September. “Your vocation, whether it’s as a priest, religious, married or single, is the way God calls you to serve him — all the time,” he said.

Father Parinas spoke about coming from a typical Filipino family that attended Mass, prayed together and was active in their parish. Their pastor used the young boy’s love of pets to impart the faith to him through stories such as Noah and his Ark. Not sure about continuing his formation to the priesthood, the young man worked in management for three years after having graduated from college seminary.

“I was in love with my girlfriend but there was a missing piece in my heart. I asked God for a sign,” said Father Parinas whose friend asked him to apply to the Paterson Diocese in the United States. He received that sign when he became one of the few men accepted into the program. “I told my girlfriend and she said it was OK to become a priest,” he said.

In contrast, Deacon Jones heard his call later in life, which led to his studying to be a permanent deacon of the Diocese and being ordained in 2015. He credits his ability to hear and respond to his vocation to the following three factors:

• A desire to serve, from having volunteered as a lighting designer and stage manager in community theater to being eager to help friends. This often included moving furniture as he was “the one with the pickup truck.”

• Good people around him. His parents brought up his sisters and him to attend Mass and pray at night. A sister’s late fiancé helped him chart his long-term career path. He also called his wife, Cindy, the “guiding light” of his life.

• Peace and quiet. “Calm down and listen carefully. God doesn’t shout. He doesn’t give specific instructions but he gave me a path — a calling. I knew that I wanted to be up there with the priest [on the altar],” he said.

Now in seminary, Castanos felt a call to priesthood as a child in his native Dominican Republic. Influenced by the faith of his grandparents, he was an altar server at his home parish. At age 5, he moved with his family to the U.S. and then at age 11, to different section of Paterson, where he joined St. Anthony Parish. He also received encouragement from Bishop Serratelli and Father “Junior” Flores, St. Anthony’s parochial vicar at the time, who now serves in the Camden Diocese. He also had attended the diocesan summer “Quo Vadis Days” vocations retreat for young men.

Castanos answered the call by entering St. Andrew’s College Seminary in South Orange. He felt the call grow stronger on a visit to the Church of the Annunciation in the Holy Land when he received a response to a prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He anticipates being called to ordination as a priest of the Diocese in 2023.

“We are called [as priests] from among men to give our lives for the sake of the Gospel. We must be ready for trials and struggles. My formation and support from you, my family and many good priests and religious have made an indelible mark on me. I thank you,” Castanos told the audience.

After the three talks, Father Marcin Michalowski, pastor of OLM and St. Mark, called the forum was “perfect for Advent,” which was made possible by Mary’s saying “yes” to God’s call to bear our Savior.

“God is calling us by name to something special to do his work. It was great to hear three different stories from three different people who heard Jesus’ voice in very unique ways,” Father Michalowski said.