Father Ricardo Garcia

In 2002, Father Ricardo Garcia came to the United States from the small town of Santa Rosa in Colombia. He was 19 and unsure of whether he had a vocation to the priesthood.

“It took me three or four years to decide,” he said. “I was like any other Catholic. I was close to the Mass and the sacraments; and I was reading more about the priesthood and praying more about it.”

During those early years in New York, Father Garcia, 31, attended classes at St. John’s University and earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

After careful consideration, what made him say yes to the priesthood was his love of the Eucharist.

“As a priest you can be united with Christ in a special way,” he said. Likewise, he said, “A priest is involved in the life of others in a very intimate way.”

“I want to bring God to the people,” he said. At the same time, he noted, a priest can only give what he himself has. Since that is the case, he emphasized that he has to take care of the state of his own soul as well.

One way to do so is to remain close to the Blessed Mother. “She was the one at the foot of the cross. She was the one who said ‘yes’ to God. She is both our example and our support,” said Father Garcia.

The Blessed Mother understands the human condition, he noted, and in a special way, she understands and loves those who enter the priesthood.

And for his real mother, Anneth, she lives in Colombia. Father Garcia is her only child.

As for the future, Father Garcia said, “I know what a priest does. I’m just waiting for what God is going to do with me. In the Christian life, God always surprises you. I think the priesthood will be an adventure,” he said.

In all honesty, he noted that there are still fears associated with that adventure. As with anything unknown, there are human anxieties. But those pale in comparison to what is offered by God.

He also said the preparation he received at St. Joseph’s Seminary prepared him well for the task at hand. “Each class as a whole built on another,” he explained.

Another experience that he believes helped him for the future is the year that he spent with the Institute of the Incarnate Word. “I learned a lot from them in my spiritual life. They taught me how to pray and I am grateful to them,” said Father Garcia, noting that he did not profess religious vows with the institute.

One of his apostolic assignments also gave him an experience that he hopes to utilize as a priest—he served at St. Joseph’s Nursing Home in Yonkers. “I saw how grateful elderly people are and how much they love the sacraments,” he said. “I hope to minister to them and learn from their reverence for the sacraments.” 

Father Ricardo Garcia’s first Mass is at Immaculate Conception Church in Tuckahoe on Sunday, May 24 at noon. The homilist is Father James Massa, professor of ecumenism and ecclesiology at St. Joseph’s Seminary.