By Sharon Abercrombie
Staff writer

The Diocese of Oakland has eight new seminarians who are pursuing their studies for the priesthood this academic year of 2008-2009. They hail from the East Bay, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Poland, and the Philippines.

Michael Figura Nufable was born in Vallejo in 1986. He attended St. Patrick’s Elementary School in Rodeo and graduated from Hercules High School. He earned an associate degree in liberal studies at Contra Costa College in San Pablo in 2007 and attended Holy Names Univer-sity in Oakland in 2008.

Currently enrolled at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, Nufable’s religious vocation was nurtured at St. Patrick Parish where he served as a part-time assistant in the parish youth program. “My work brought me the joy in my heart of how the young are serving and learning about God,” he said. It inspired him with the resolve “to continue my ministering to the people of God.” Nufable credits Beverly Pascua-Fung, faith formation director at St. Patrick’s, for helping “me to grow in my spiritual and pastoral life.”

His parents and two brothers “have been supportive as well. As a family we never give up even when we are challenged,” he said.

St. Patrick sem-inarian Rafal Duda defines himself as part of a “generation of Pope John Paul II.” Born in 1979 in Mielec, Poland, Duda observed that “there are many vocations” in his homeland. “There were priests working at my parish who contributed most to my vocation.” He graduated from high school in 1998 and entered seminary in Tarnow, Poland. From 2003-2007 Duda studied theology at the Missionary Congregation of the Holy Spirit in Bydgoszcz.

In 2007, Duda decided to serve the U.S. Church, “which is experiencing a shortage of priestly vocations.” So he came to America in August 2007 to enroll in a pre-theology program to learn English as a second language and add it to his linguistic repertoire of Polish and French. He chose the Oakland Diocese for his ministry, explaining that “it is a small diocese in terms of geography. There is a lot of diversity in Oakland.” Of his future priesthood, Duda said that he “often does not feel worthy to be called to such an immense task. It is a tremendous responsibility.”

Duda keeps in contact with his parents and five siblings back home in Poland by phone and Internet programs.

Rafael Orlando Garcia Barahona, a native of El Salvador, is studying at the Seminario Hispano in Mexico in preparation for being ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oakland. “I used to live in Richmond,” said Garcia, underlining that “people here need a lot of help, especially the Latino community.”

His desire to become a priest revolves around his intention to help people and celebrate the sacraments. “I think that we have a necessity to continue to bring the faith to our Latino community and help all of the people.”

Born in 1981, Garcia studied business administration at the Tecnologic University of El Salvador. Before entering seminary, he worked in accounting. Garcia has one brother, who lives with their father. His mother is deceased.

Fellow Salvadoran Roberto Antonio Iraheta Garcia is studying at Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon. Born in 1987, Iraheta attended the Instituto Nacional “Jose Simeon Canas” in Zacate-coluca, La Paz, before beginning his philosophy studies in 2005 at the Seminario Juan XXIII in Santa Ana, El Salvador.

Two major influences regarding his decision to enter the seminary were his pastor in El Salvador and his mother. The greatest motivator, however, was “God’s call. I felt it in myself, and I wanted to give him an answer and become a good priest for my diocese,” he said. He opted to study for the priesthood in the Diocese of Oakland after his bishop told him about the opportunity.

Before entering the seminary, Iraheta helped his father on their family farm in Zacatecoluca. The second of five sons, he describes his father as “a humble man” and “a good father.” His mother, he said, “is a housekeeper and she is the best mother in the world”

Hector David Vela Mendoza, born in 1977 in San Salvador, El Salvador, has been in seminary since his high school years. Now studying at St. Patrick’s in Menlo Park, Vela considers his vocation as “a call to serve the people of God, even in small things.”

Prior to coming to the U.S. in January, he received a bachelor degree in philosophy from the Seminario Juan XXIII in El Salvador. He cites his pastor, a priest from the Burges Diocese in Belgium, as an important influence in his vocation. “He was a ‘fidei donum,’ a gift of faith,” he said. He also took inspiration from San Salvador’s Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was murdered, and St. John Bosco.

Vela decided to become a seminarian for the Diocese of Oakland after “recognizing it as a missionary place.” He jokes about “thinking in Spanish as I try to speak English and Italian.” Since his mother and two sisters live in Los Angeles, Vela easily maintains his family connections.

Alexander Quiros-Castilo of Palmares, Costa Rica, is a “late vocation.” Born in 1971 he worked for many years as a training coordinator for a software development company. “That is how I bought my beans, as they say,” he said. But his other job was “the one to live,” serving as a consultant and writer for a national pontifical missionary society. “I met great missionaries,” he said.

Their dedication, along with “the deep roots of faith I received in my family” influenced his call to the priesthood. His desire to become a priest he attributes to “Jesus calling me, and when I felt His love in that call, all my life got its real meaning.” Quiros-Castilo chose to study for the Oakland Diocese at St. Patrick’s Seminary after he realized that it would be the perfect mission experience “outside my country and my culture. The Diocese of Oakland is a gift of God to make my missionary vocation a reality.”

He said his mother, a retired teacher, and his two brothers and their wives are very supportive of his decision.

Ramil Urgelles, a St. Patrick’s seminarian, is a native of Polillo, Quezon, Phili-p-pines. He is a graduate of Maria Assumpta Seminary in Cabanatuan City with a Bachelor of Arts degree in classical philosophy. He arrived in the United States in July.

He decided to settle in the Oakland Diocese “because I believe what Jesus said to ‘go out and tell the Good News to all nations.’ I think one of those nations is the U.S.” Urgelles said he looks forward to “experiencing new life, new culture, new people and new challenges.”

Before entering seminary, Urgelles worked as a religion teacher. He said both his family and friends influenced his priesthood decision. One of five siblings, Urgelles said his family “will give me great support, wherever I go.”

Edilberto Solis Castanas grew up in a clan of fishermen. “Yet I never became a good fisherman at all. Instead, I be--lieve that God is calling me now to be a fisher of men.”

Born in 1981 in Talisay, Calape, Bohol, Philippines, Castanas attended Pangangan Elementary School. “During this early stage of my life I also became a convent boy where I served the priest during the celebration of the Eucharist. I found it amazing to celebrate the holy Mass with the priest.”

His island religious culture also played a part in his vocation, he said. “We have a lot of popular devotions and festivities in honor of the saints.” The continuous immersion in them developed his sense of religiosity and piety, Castanas said.

He was further influenced in high school when two seminarians came to visit and invited the students to “follow Christ through priestly vocations.”

Castanas entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Tagbiliran City, Bohol, shortly after his high school graduation. He also attended the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos, Mabolo, Cebu City, and Our Lady of Fatima Spiritual Pastoral Formation Year House, also in Cebu City.

He came to the Oakland Diocese to study at St. Patrick’s Seminary after going on a retreat where he made the decision that it was necessary to “think globally, commit globally, and serve globally as a priest. To give oneself to ordination means to be a priest, prophet and pastor to all.”

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