My name is José Ángel Padín Mercado. I was born in Añasco, Puerto Rico. I am the ninth child in a family of twelve, of which eleven are living and one is dead. He died when he was three months old. I am named after him, so I consider him my guardian angel.

As I look back and reflect upon my vocation, spirituality, and mission work, I certainly see that God's ways are not my ways. God has been with me and has led me, thus far, for paths that I had never imagined I could ever walk or dare to walk. This is my vocation's, mission's and spirituality's journey.

For a long time God knocked on my door, yet I kept sending God to someone else's door. At times, I did like the idea of being a priest. Other times, I did not feel that it was for me. I did not feel worthy of it.

My parents are religiously devout people. I grew up going to Church, almost every Sunday; and participated in the Legion of Mary movement and the Church choir. Yet, I did not feel that I was good ("saintly / holy") enough to be a priest. Still, God did not give up on me.

Since I was twelve years old, I began to feel an attraction for the priesthood. At the time, I kept it to myself since I did not feel that anyone else felt the same way nor did I understand (to my satisfaction) the call. Later on, I began to look into the diocesan priesthood, yet I felt as if something was missing. What I did not know. Certainly, I could not name what I wanted nor what kind of work I felt called to. I just felt deep inside me that the diocesan priesthood did not fulfill the call I was having.

For a few years I discerned such a call to the priesthood. At times I felt it very strongly. Other times I was able to wrap myself into "My Life" so as to forget about the call that I was feeling deep within. I remember saying, "Yes, Lord, you can count on me, I will be one of your priests." Yet, there were days that I got very angry with God, and I would say: "Why don't you try someone else and leave me alone?"

However, God was very patient and did not give up on me. God kept calling and calling. So, one day I said: "OK, I am going to try it to prove to you that I do not have the vocation." Little did I know that once I try it, I did not see myself doing anything else nor did I want to do anything else.

Surely, I did not know that I was going to end up in a missionary group. I guess that it was all part of God's plan. I got hooked on the missionary life, spirituality and work through the Maryknoll Magazine (and since 1980 Maryknoll Revista magazine). Since my parents were (and still are) Maryknoll sponsors, they received the magazine at home. I began to read it. I got very interested in the stories and work of the missionaries throughout South America, Central America, Asia and Africa. Through the Magazine my mission interest and mission vocation was awakened. As a student I did my Overseas Training (Mission experience) in Tanzania and Kenya. I worked for 2 ½ years in Africa before I returned to the United States to finish my Theological studies and to be ordained. Since my ordination on June 14th, 1997, I have been working in Mozambique.

José's Reflections             José's Ministry

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