Last weekend, Viatorians hosted seven discerners for a vocational encounter at a retreat house in Bogotá.
The weekend included prayer, Eucharistic Adoration, and Mass, and the activities helped them explore their spirituality, personal lives, and mental health. Fr. Juan Carlos Ubaque, CSV, and Fr. John Alexander Avellaneda, CSV, worked together, alongside Sofía Uribe, a psychologist experienced with religious communities. This retreat, hosted at a center of Las Hermanas Mercedarias (Mercedarian Sisters), is part of a series of weekend experiences for young men who have been discerning with us.
Sofia brought her psychology expertise to the retreat participants, and Fr. Juan Carlos and Fr. John Alexander led spiritual activities, including participants’ making small altars to reflect their lives and journeys.
“Our vocational discernment must consider different dimensions of the person, from their spiritual life and personal story to their desires inspired by our charism,” Fr. Juan Carlos said. “It leads to a broad panorama that does not exclude any dimensions of these young people.”
This retreat served as a torch-passing, both for these seven young men in accompanied discernment as well as for the Viatorians. Fr. Juan Carlos is concluding his time as Coordinator of Vocation Ministry in the Foundation of Colombia and preparing to move to Rome for formation director studies. After collaborating with Fr. John Alexander frequently, he will now pass the coordination role on to him. Fr. John Alexander celebrated the Mass on Sunday, and Fr. Juan Carlos preached the homily.
“At the beginning of 2022, we started this path of vocation ministry in the middle of difficulties as well as our own inexperience. Then, in 2023, Fr. John Alexander went to learn English in the US,” Fr. Juan Carlos said. “Now, some three years later, he takes up this ministry, continuing to proclaim Jesus and accompany these young people with great care. Looking back, I feel gratitude to God, to my community, and to my Provincial, who has supported us so well.”
Fr. Juan Carlos (left) and Fr. John Alexander (right) have collaborated frequently in vocation ministry – like for this retreat – and now Fr. John Alexander will step into the role of coordinator.
Fr. John Alexander will continue Fr. Juan Carlos’ work of ministering around Bogotá and beyond, giving talks, leading retreats, celebrating Masses, collaborating with other religious, and increasing our online presence. These ministries all strive to share the Viatorians and our charism with others, especially young people, and promote vocations.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude for Fr. Juan Carlos’ selfless devotion, close fraternity, and passion for awakening the desire to follow Jesus in our young people. Faithful to the charism, he has accompanied people, taught them the faith, and awakened in many hearts the joys of serving the Word and the altar,” Fr. John Alexander said. “I feel profound gratitude to God for the confidence the community is placing in me. We’ll continue raising communities where young people can hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and find that a life of service to the Gospel, catechesis, and liturgy is deeply worthwhile.”
These comments from Fr. Juan Carlos and Fr. John Alexander were originally in Spanish, interpreted to English.