Focus 11: God is calling

By Emily Chaffins -

Photography: EMILY CHAFFINS | FC

MIAMI | Sixth-grade students streamed down the walkway towards St. Raphael Chapel at St. John Vianney College Seminary as a religious brother and three seminarians cheered in welcome.

That’s how students from 13 Catholic schools in Miami-Dade County were welcomed May 22, 2023, to the first of three Focus 11 vocations rallies occurring that week.

Focus 11 originated in the Archdiocese of Detroit in the late 1980s, to encourage 11-year-olds to discern God’s will for them and consider vocations to priesthood and religious life.

“It’s called Focus 11 because at around 11 years old, parents and teachers begin asking kids, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ Focus 11 is there to show that serving God as a priest, a brother, or sister is also a valid option,” said Father Matthew Gomez, vocations director for the Archdiocese of Miami and organizer of the three-day event. “It is one way that we can create a culture of vocations within our archdiocesan schools and the archdiocese as a whole.”

Father Gomez said he was particularly excited this year because the last in-person Focus 11 had taken place in 2019, due to the pandemic.

Participating schools May 22 were Blessed Trinity, Good Shepherd, Mother of Christ, Holy Rosary St. Richard, Our Lady of the Lakes, St. Agatha, St. Brendan, St. Hugh, St. John Neumann, St. Louis, St. Theresa, St. Timothy, and Sts. Peter and Paul. Another Focus 11 rally took place May 23 at the seminary for the remaining Miami-Dade County Catholic schools, and on May 25 at St. Gregory in Plantation for Broward County schools.

The only school that did not participate was the Basilica School of St. Mary Star of the Sea, because of their location in Key West.

The day began at 9 a.m. with Mass. Father Gomez celebrated along with Father Bryan Garcia, St. John Vianney’s vice-rector and dean of seminarians; Father Nicholas Toledo from St. John Neumann Parish in Kendall; and Father Luis Flores from Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Miami.

After Mass, Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado gave the keynote speech, speaking about his own vocation story and the importance of discerning God’s will.

Bishop Delgado said he felt called to the priesthood but decided to study engineering instead. However, the calling persisted, until a final prompt from a woman religious moved him to begin discernment. Bishop Delgado traveled from his native Peru to St. John Vianney College Seminary and the rest is history. Now he was able to speak about vocations in his alma mater as a bishop.

“Vocations are the way that we relate with God and one another. They lead us to holiness,” Bishop Delgado said.

“I’m not going to tell you everyone should be a priest or a nun,” he added, but he stressed that following one’s vocation is what leads to happiness.

Once Bishop Delgado opened the floor to questions, students asked about everything from the bishop’s cape and “hat” (zucchetto) to why women can’t be priests.

After Bishop Delgado’s talk, the schools divided into groups to attend breakout sessions.

At the community room, students heard testimonies from Brother Iñigo Johnpaul of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary; seminarian George Castañeda; and Father Toledo.

Brother Iñigo spoke about the unique role of religious brothers. When he asked students whether they had ever learned about the vocation of religious brothers, few raised their hands.

“The difference between a brother and a priest, primarily, is the mission that we do,” he explained. “For us as brothers, we serve helping the poor, the immigrants, teaching in schools, helping the youth, planning retreats, giving talks. We do so many things to help others encounter the love of Jesus.”

He used an analogy to describe discernment.

“Let’s say that you are in math class, and you have a very difficult problem... Who do you ask for help? The teacher, right, or maybe the one who knows the most about math... That wouldn’t be me, definitely not,” he added as students laughed. “You ask the one who knows the answer to the question... Who do we have to ask those important questions in life? God, right? Because he knows the answers to those questions.”

At another session, which took place at the refectory, students learned about the vocation of religious sisters. Servants of the Pierced Hearts Sister Maria Jose Socias, Sister Victoria Dedek, and postulants Julynei Uricari and Allison Welps collaborated to speak on the topic. The sisters spoke about the stages of discernment, from postulant to novice to professed sister. Sister Maria Jose also shared her testimony.

“If Jesus would ask me again, I would do it all over again,” Sister Maria Jose said. “I have the most fulfilled life that anyone can have.”

After spending the day listening to others talk about vocations, the students had the opportunity to communicate with the most important person, as Deacon Piotr Sawicki and Father Gomez noted: Jesus, at Eucharistic adoration. Deacons Sawicki, Milton Martinez, John Buonacore, and David Zallocco, who will be ordained priests next year, led adoration and benediction.

“When the day is done, I hope that the kids go home with a greater appreciation of God’s call in their lives to be holy, and a greater appreciation for the priesthood and religious life,” said Father Gomez. “Hopefully they have realized that this religious sister, or that religious brother, or my parish priest, was a kid like me one day, and God called them, so maybe he can call me.”

“We don’t know who will be a priest, a deacon, a religious brother, a religious sister, or a wonderful husband and father or wife and mother,” Father Gomez added, “but we have planted the seed that God is calling them to something great!”