A day in the life of a priest, sister, deacon and seminarian

By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -

Photography: CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO | FC

SOUTHWEST RANCHES | What goes on in a day in the life of a priest? What about that of a sister or a deacon? Is it really only about prayer and Mass?

These questions were among the many that students at Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School had to research as part of their theology courses. Juniors taking a course on sacraments had to develop a group presentation on various aspects of Holy Orders, ranging from vocations to the formation process to religious life.

The coursework allowed students not only to research vocations, but to ask those serving firsthand about what exactly goes on in the process. On Nov. 17, the juniors presented what they learned before a panel of representatives from various religious vocations, and the seniors were treated to the stories behind each panelist’s journey into religious life.

"This is our first year doing it and we’re very excited," said Chris Covone, Theology Department chairperson and director of campus ministry at McCarthy High.

Panelists included seminarian Andrew Vitrano of St. John Vianney College Seminary, Miami; Father Elvis Gonzalez, director of vocations at the Archdiocese of Miami; Dominican Father Cristobal Torres, chaplain at Barry University, Miami Shores; Father Jean Jadotte, chaplain at McCarthy High; and permanent deacon John Clarke, who is assigned to the archdiocese's Respect Life Ministry. Also attending were Sisters Maria Jose Socias and Grace Marie Heinrich, of the Miami-based Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

"They’re everyday people, and that’s important for the kids to see," Covone said. "(They) heard a call and answered that call to serve God in a unique way. That call is really for every baptized Christian to follow, but especially in religious life it’s good for the kids to see everyday people answering."

For Vitrano, a second-year seminarian who graduated from McCarthy in 2014, the opportunity to return to his alma mater and speak about his journey is one that he hopes will inspire others to listen to their own calling.

"Hopefully our presence here will lead people to look at that kind of life," he said. "That’s the hope. That’s the dream."

Vitrano is the first McCarthy High graduate to choose a religious vocation. Before the panel discussion, he was approached by former classmates, some of whom were surprised that he entered the seminary. He reassured them that he feels fulfilled by his choice.

"I’ve been told by many priests that the sign of a vocation in a seminarian is that you’re happy where you are at � and I’m happy," Vitrano said.

He said he wants people to understand that vocations and religious life extend beyond the stereotype of a life spent solely in prayer.

"Just because we have a prayer life and do a lot of service, it doesn’t mean we’re anti-social, you know, like your stereotypical old parish priest," Vitrano said. "We’re normal people, and we enjoy ourselves, and we have friends. I want them to realize that just because you have a vocation doesn’t mean that you stop your life and you stop being who you are. I want them, if not to be interested, at least to remove that cloud."

Sister Grace said that everyone comes with the purpose to serve God, in one way or another, and "no one else can fulfill that mission."

One of the most common questions for the panelists was simple, yet complex: How do you know when you are called by God?

"It begins with a questioning in your heart," Sister Maria Jose said. "A restlessness, as St. Augustine would say. The heart and the mind do not connect at the same time, but it’s deep within you."

But with all the noise and distractions of daily life, it can be difficult to find and listen to that calling. The panelists held up prayer and meditation as vital keys, not only for those called to religious life, but for those wanting to be better Catholics overall.

"Sit with the noise," Father Torres said. "Meditate and look for God in the noise and beyond the noise. In real life you don’t have absolute control, so it’s kind of like learning to listen for God."

For Nicole Bejarano, a senior at McCarthy High, the encouraging message from each panelist could not have come at a better time.

"Right now I’m struggling with what I should be doing with my life � following my dream or my destiny?" Nicole said. "And I don’t know what God wants me to do. But they said something that I really loved. That was to listen to God’s whisper in your heart."