Prayers lead to vocations

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

A conversation about churches closing led one woman to pray for vocations.
Saturday one of her sons was ordained a priest, one whose outreach extends back to babyhood.
Lynne Martineau, a member of Mary, Queen of the Rosary Parish in Spencer and mother of Father Alan J. Martineau, wasn’t the only mother attending the ordination which nearly filled St. Paul Cathedral Saturday.
Luz-Elena Guzman came in from Colombia to celebrate with her son Juan-Sebastian Sanchez Guzman, who was ordained a transitional deacon, in preparation for priesthood. Also there for him from Colombia were his aunt Martha Ochoa and cousin Gloria Correa.
But perhaps the person from farthest away was Deacon Sanchez’ classmate Father Luis Carlos Cano, who came in from Cambodia. (A Yarumal Priest, he was going on to Michigan afterwards to study the Khmer language for his missionary work.)
The two Colombians ordained priests Saturday – Fathers Victor Alonso Sierra López and Javier De Jesus Julio De Arco – said their family members were unsuccessful in getting visas.
But Father Sierra had “adopted mothers” celebrating here – and going to Colombia to celebrate with him there. One said she thought about 15 people were going.
Father Julio too was anticipating celebrating with his mother and other family members in Colombia.
“This is what I told my children, ‘We don’t have money. … All I have to give you is my faith,’” Mrs. Martineau said as her son blessed well-wishers after the ordination. “Here’s the culmination. You couldn’t get a better investment. He truly is special – always has been, always reached out to people, always helped the underdog.”     
She recalled being in Spag’s store in Shrewsbury when Alan was about one year old.
“He’s so beautiful,” a stranger commented. “Can I hold him?”
His mother let her do so. After all, Little Alan had stretched his arms out to the woman.
“So from Spag’s to the cathedral – here we are,” Mrs. Martineau mused. “What a journey!”
She recalled a conversation with a co-worker about church closings.
“I’m afraid we’re going to lose our religion,” she confided.
“God won’t let that happen,” the man responded.
“That’s when I began praying for vocations,” Mrs. Martineau said. But she didn’t think priesthood was “in the cards” for her sons.
“He’s where he should be,” her husband, Jeffrey Martineau, said of their priest-son. “Growing up he’s always been that type of fathering, ministering person. It seemed like he always had some kind of answer … to problems.”
“He’s one of our parishioners – we’re so proud of him,” Phyllis LaMontagne said of Father Martineau. “I had him in CCD class. He was in sixth grade and a most attentive student, very, very invested in his faith, even at a young age. His parents are amazing. They fostered his faith as he grew up.”
Fellow-parishioners Thomas and Kathleen Sullivan said they watched him growing up in church.
Mr. Sullivan, who worked with Mrs. Martineau, said he would ask her about the young man after learning he was going to seminary.
“We don’t really know him,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “We feel we know him, because we’ve been praying for him for so long. That’s the connection – and we’ll pray for him forever.”
After Marjorie Hughes and her family received Father Martineau’s blessing, she said, “We were in Javier’s line first.” Father Javier Julio served at their parish, St. John, Guardian of Our Lady in Clinton, and was also giving his priestly blessing.
Though the Colombian priests don’t have parishes here where people watched them grow up, they’ve received much support.
“These guys are coming to offer their lives and people are grateful, and they express it in a wonderful way,” said Father Peter J. Joyce, pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Milford, where Father Sierra served. Parishioners include seminarians in their families and give them rides, among other things.
George Cortes, a Colombian from St. Joan of Arc Parish in Worcester, said he and his family are “very proud of our new … priests from Colombia. We provide support so they feel at home,” since they experience separation from their country and culture.
“We go to the churches they’re assigned to,” he said. “We follow them … when we have the opportunity.”
Nelsy Peppler said she met Father Sierra at her parish, Holy Family of Nazareth in Leominster, when he served there.
“He’s Colombian and I’m Colombian,” she said. She asked his age and realized she was old enough to be his mother.
“We kind of took him into our home,” inviting him to cookouts and visiting him in seminary, she said. “I’m an ESL (English-as-a-second-language) teacher in Worcester. My spirit is to welcome people, especially people from other countries. He can visit us any time in Leominster.”
Some of Father Sierra’s “American moms” went to Colombia with him this week.
Irene Connor spoke with The Catholic Free Press by telephone as she waited for the flight with her husband, Deacon Robert S. Connor Jr., and their 16-year-old, Erin.
Deacon Connor, who is stationed at St. Cecilia Parish in Leominster, where Father Sierra served, said the new priest wanted them to see his country.
“He came to our home for Easter,” the deacon said. His wife, knowing he didn’t have family here, “adopted” him.
Mrs. Connor said she’s proud to be included as one of his “moms.” Her husband said their children think of Father Sierra as a brother, and “he keeps calling me his brother.” But, he said, “I’d be proud if he was my son.”



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