Fr. Fausto Gomez OP concludes the fourth and final part of his series with deep gratitude for God’s enduring grace. Reflecting on 60 years of priesthood, he emphasizes that his vocation has been sustained by love, prayer, compassion, and hope. As his journey continues, Fr. Fausto reminds us that, in the evening of life, we will be examined on love – the guiding principle of our lives.
In the third part of his reflection, Fr. Fausto Gomez OP shares the challenges and dangers he faced throughout his Dominican journey. From near-expulsions to grappling with doubts about his vocation, Fr. Fausto reflects on the mercy of God, the prayers of his mother, and the grace that sustained him through it all. He acknowledges the post-Vatican II struggles many religious faced, including the temptation to leave, but he remained steadfast, recognizing that his perseverance is not due to personal merit, but to God’s continual guidance and grace.
Fr. Fausto Gómez OP recounts his second phase as a Dominican missionary, reflecting on his time in Manila and Macau. After teaching for over four decades at the University of Santo Tomas, where he advocated for bioethics and social justice, Fr. Fausto continued his mission in Macau. Despite facing challenges of adjustment, he remained dedicated to teaching moral theology and contributing to the local Catholic community through his regular column in O Clarim. His pastoral outreach extended across Asia, with a focus on Dominican formation, teaching the importance of community life, prayer, study, and preaching for the salvation of humanity.
The Church does indeed want you, but the question is: In what way? Whether as a priest, husband, or faithful single person, the call of God leads us to different vocations. If you’re discerning the priesthood, remember that saints like St. Peter and St. Augustine didn’t start out perfect. The Church invites you to listen to Christ’s call with an open heart. Are you ready to embrace this path and become a spiritual father for many?
In the first of a four-part series on the vocation of Fr. Fausto Gomez, OP, the Dominican priest reflects on his journey from a small town in Avila in Spain to his 86th birthday, celebrated on December 4, 2023. With gratitude, Fr. Fausto thanks God not only for the gift of life but also for his Dominican vocation, which has sustained him for 61 years since his ordination.
The Diocese of Macau rejoices in the ordination of two new priests, Father Adriano Serro Agostinho and Father Chan Pak Lam Bosco, on August 31, 2024. Surrounded by family, friends, and the faithful, the ordination was marked by profound moments of prayer, dedication, and the invocation of the Holy Spirit.
It is only in the absence of priests that we are able to fathom the vital role that they play in our salvation. As human and weak as they are, they are still indomitable instruments of God’s grace. It is our duty as lay Catholics to sacrifice and pray for them.
“It is true that someone validly ordained can, for grave reasons, be discharged from the obligations and functions linked to ordination, or can be forbidden to exercise them; but he cannot become a layman again in the strict sense [cf Code of Canon Law, cann. 290-293; 1336 # 1 3, 5; 1338 # 2; Council of Trent DS 1774], because the character imprinted by ordination is for ever. The vocation and mission received on the day of his ordination mark him permanently.”
Is the priesthood for everyone?
“The essential rite of the sacrament of Holy Orders for all three degrees consists in [1] the bishop’s imposition of hands on the head of the ordinand [the matter of the sacrament] and in [2] the bishop’s specific consecratory prayer asking God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and his gifts proper to the ministry to which the candidate is being ordained [form] [Cf. Pius XII, apostolic constitution, Sacramentum Ordinis].”