Sitting down in the parish meeting room in the company of Rev. Sigmund Peplowski, pastor, seminarian Manuel Guevara spoke a little about his life and his summer assignment at Saint Joseph Church. Fr. Peplowski, his mentor for the summer, joined in the conversation.

Guevara, age twenty-five, arrived at Saint Joseph’s in mid-July and will stay until the end of August.  At that time he will begin his second year of study at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University, where along with his course work this fall he will also find some time to play on their baseball team. 

Now a lector, Guevara will be instituted as an acolyte in November, taking the progressive steps towards priesthood.  He expects to become a deacon in 2009 and to be ordained a priest of the Paterson Diocese in 2010.

Guevara is a native of Nicaragua, a Central American country just  slightly larger than New York state, which is reportedly 90% Catholic.  Catholic holy days and feast days familiar to American Catholics, such as Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Immaculate Conception and All Souls Day, are public holidays in Nicaragua.

Guevara has been in the United States for two and a half years, specifically studying English for the first year.  His hometown of Masaya, also called the “City of Flowers”, has a reported population of 124,900.  It is located on the eastern slope of the extinct Masaya volcano.  “It is a big, old Colonial town with many Catholic traditions.  Every day there is a feast day or a celebration,” Guevara said.  His mother, father and sister remain in Masaya, as well as many cousins, aunts and uncles.  He also has relatives in California.  

Entering a minor seminary in Nicaragua at age fifteen, Guevara completed his typical high school courses along with Latin and classes dedicated to prayer and liturgy.  “The first year was very hard, studying and learning to live a community life,” he said.  However, he felt it was a good experience, a good way to decide if the priesthood was to be his chosen path.

While he has had the opportunity to visit Chicago and Texas for Hispanic seminarians conferences, Saint Joseph’s is the first American parish that Guevara has been assigned to.  He finds it “quiet and peaceful” and a great place to experience parish life, working and learning at the side of the pastor.

He has participated in the parish by assisting in the celebration of the liturgy and at Baptisms.  He has made hospital and nursing home visitations, will  assist at weddings and funerals and has attended all manner of parish meetings and functions.  “Bear watch around the rectory” is also one of his assigned tasks, Fr. Peplowski said with a smile.  So far, no sightings.  He enjoys teaching Bible classes and at this point in time he aspires to be a “simple parish priest”.

Guevara was rather surprised at the warmth of the people he has met here.  “The people are very friendly and it was my first experience with shaking hands with everyone you meet.  That is different from Hispanic culture,” he said.  Fr. Peplowski added that he noticed, when he first introduced Guevara at week-end masses, how the parishioners “opened their hearts right away to a new-comer.  It was an affirmation of the friendliness of the people of Saint Joseph Church,” he said.

Fr. Peplowski concluded the afternoon visit by saying how pleased he is to have Guevara with him this summer.  “He is always quick to smile,” he said.   “We are a typical, multi-cultural United States parish and this is the second year that we have had a seminarian assigned to us.  Last year it was Raymond Orama, who has since been ordained a deacon and will become a priest in 2008.  With one-hundred and eleven parishes in the Paterson Diocese and only about forty seminarians, we are lucky to be one of the chosen few,” he said.