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Ordinand aims to be a 'real deal' priest
Catholic Register Staff
March 12, 2010
Editor’s note: today we begin our annual series that profiles the men who will graduate from St. Augustine’s Seminary this spring and be ordained to the priesthood for various dioceses.
Luis Calleja Jr. was born and raised in Toronto and is an only child. He felt called to the priesthood at 18, but only responded after several years of soul searching. He stayed at Serra House to discern his vocation while studying philosophy at St. Philip’s Oratory. He then entered St. Augustine’s Seminary in 2005.
Luis Calleja Jr. was born and raised in Toronto and is an only child. He felt called to the priesthood at 18, but only responded after several years of soul searching. He stayed at Serra House to discern his vocation while studying philosophy at St. Philip’s Oratory. He then entered St. Augustine’s Seminary in 2005.
Calleja credits Fr. Michael McGordy, his spiritual director at St. Augustine’s, for helping him get through his seminary days. Whenever he had doubts about his call, and whether he could live up to his vocation, McGordy was there to encourage him, he said.
“To me, he’s a real deal priest,” Calleja said. “And that is what I aim to be as your future priest. A real deal priest. A priest who’s genuine, honest and caring. A priest who loves his people and his priesthood. A priest who isn’t afraid to face any challenge. Fr. Mike inspired me to be myself and to love and trust in God always. He and the other priests were men of prayer, and to me that’s what a priest should be, from the very beginning, a man of prayer.”
Calleja will be joining three uncles and three cousins from both sides of his family as priests. Calleja will serve the archdiocese of Toronto.
“To me, he’s a real deal priest,” Calleja said. “And that is what I aim to be as your future priest. A real deal priest. A priest who’s genuine, honest and caring. A priest who loves his people and his priesthood. A priest who isn’t afraid to face any challenge. Fr. Mike inspired me to be myself and to love and trust in God always. He and the other priests were men of prayer, and to me that’s what a priest should be, from the very beginning, a man of prayer.”
Calleja will be joining three uncles and three cousins from both sides of his family as priests. Calleja will serve the archdiocese of Toronto.