Rafael Majano

Pre-Theology I
Assumption Seminary

My name is Rafael Majano I am from Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Son of Rafael Jose and Maria del Pilar Majano. I have a brother Rafael Gerardo and a sister Pilar Virginia, I am the middle child. My parents educated us with much love with values in the midst of the Catholic faith. I went to Catholic school through 6th grade. Then I went to public school until graduating high school. Later I went to the University Centroccidental "Lisandro Alvarado" where I got the title of Certified Public Accountant.

My call to the priesthood was a blessing from God in my life that was developed over the years in my parish where I was participating in the youth group and taught catechism. Later I participated in Neo-catechumenal. In 2005, I had the blessing to travel to World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany where I lived an unforgettable experience of prayer, pilgrimage and encountered God. I remember attending a crowded Mass attended by about 250,000 people. Before the end of the service they made a call to all those present who felt the call to the priestly life to get closer to the dais of the altar where we were prepared to receive a blessing from the bishops present. I approached and I remember being on my knees, like everyone else who got on that stage that was prepared as an altar for the Eucharistic celebration. It was at that moment I felt in my heart that was final, the final answer "YES" generous God expected of me and for many reasons that I dared not give.

I came to the United States by the end of 2006 at the invitation of Father Oscar Perez, A Venezuelan priest friend of mine who invites me to begin my formation for the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Omaha. My first years as a seminarian developed in ESL programs associated with the seminary. In this year, I continued to take courses in language and pre-theology program at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas. This is my first year in this seminary, which has been dedicated for the last 95 years to the formation of seminarians. In the last years, for the pastoral need of the communities, more specifically by the growth of the Hispanic Catholic population in the United States, it has developed a formation program with a Multicultural and bilingual vision. Allowing us to prepare to attend a diverse Catholic community, migrant, from different countries, especially from Latin America. The community is made up of teachers and seminarians from several countries (Vietnam, Africa, Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela and Brazil) and North Americans coming from Dioceses from the Southwest of the country.

My adoptive parish in our archdiocese is St. Michael Parish, is located in South Sioux City in northeastern Nebraska. South Sioux City is a small town with a large and beautiful community of believers where we have one of the major blessings to have St. Michael School, in which we have to mention father Daniel Wittrock and Father Oscar Perez who guide and care for the community. They together with Father Carl Zouch how was Pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe in South Omaha are some of the priests that have impacted my life and by their example have encouraged me to continue my formation and see myself as a good priest by their positive influence in my life.

Finally, I want to leave a message to all young people who like me have felt the call to the priesthood. The priesthood is a very special vocation and God gives and guides, changing our lives day by day. It allows us at the seminary to make excellent friends become real brothers living together and especially by the spirit of prayer, which surrounds us. The seminary will transform us into better men, men like Jesus Christ that will allow in the future to be his disciples willing to proclaim the gospel. Do not forget to listen to the voice of the Lord, he calls us to serve him and if it is for the priesthood, blessed be God, do not ignore that call, talk to your pastor, and with the light of the Holy Spirit, He will help you confirm God’s call. Then jointly, along with our Vocation Director, he will put you on the path so that the Archdiocese of Omaha in the future can count with many priests to care for our communities.

Yours in Christ,

Rafael

"I have called you by name." (Isaias, 43: 1)