Dear Friends of SJV,
For many, January is a time to set New Year’s resolutions and make positive changes in their lives. At SJV, we look forward to the seminarians’ return on January 12th, marking the start of a new semester filled with renewed hope and reflection.
In January, our focus during human formation will be on the virtue of fortitude or courage. The title given to our conferences is “Fortitude’s Strength and God’s Armor.” This title reflects the importance of this human virtue for spiritual battle. We want to emphasize how fortitude is not only about resisting evil but also, above all, about loving God to the point of making such resistance worthwhile.
In this month’s newsletter, we will highlight Father Israel–Perez–Lopez, the pastor of both St. Cajetan Parish and Presentation of Our Lord Parish (as well as my blood younger brother), who will share insights about the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which occurred before the break on December 19th. We will also feature Enrique Cruz Bautista, who was instituted as a lector earlier this year. Congratulations, Enrique!
May the peace of Christ reside profoundly within us as we embark on the second academic term of the year.
In Christ,
Fr. Angel Perez–Lopez
The Ministry of Acolyte
Hello dear friends, my name is Enrique Cruz, I am from Mexico, and I belong to this beloved Archdiocese of Denver.
I want to share a little about what it was like for me to receive the ministry of acolyte. I can say that with each step I take toward the priestly ministry, I am becoming increasingly aware of God’s love. I am becoming more aware that ministry is not a privilege but an undeserved gift and a responsibility that invites me to respond to God’s great love for me. For me, the acolyte service was like a caress from God, inviting me to trust in Him more and more, to be more humble each day, seeing His presence in my formators who guide me, and not to seek the best positions but simply to do His will.
This ministry I received was an experience that, by the grace of God, I was able to share with my family, especially my father, mother, siblings, and of course with friends from my parish as well as friends from English school, who, with their prayers, sustain and encourage me every day of my life to continue striving for this ideal, for this dream that God has for me. For each of them, it was a great joy to be able to experience these moments firsthand, and certainly something new. They told me it was incredible to witness the process of a vocation preparing to be a priest. I believe their faith was nourished, and now they will pray for vocations with even greater enthusiasm.
“For them I consecrate myself”—these are the words of the Evangelist Saint John (17:19) which I now make my own, and from which I gain strength knowing that, if it is God’s will, one day I will consecrate myself to this beautiful ministry of the priesthood, for the glory of God and for the service of his faithful people.
Finally, I encourage you to continue praying for one another, remembering that when I pray for someone else, they are also praying for me.
Pray for me, and I will pray for you.
Enrique Cruz–Bautista
Theology IV Seminarian from the Archdiocese of Denver
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patron Saint of the Americas
Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary visited Saint Cajetan Catholic Church on December 12th, 2025, to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was a mutually enriching experience where men called to be future spiritual fathers and a vibrant Hispanic community shared their faith and love for Our Blessed Mother. As the pastor of Saint Cajetan and professor at Saint John Vianney, I profoundly enjoyed the moment, convinced that it was a formative experience for all of us.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas. America, the whole continent, is under the protection and spiritual motherly care of the Virgin Mary. Many might think there is a profound cultural barrier between different cultural identities within the United States. However, the spiritual motherhood of our Blessed Mother elevates our perspective to a higher and deeper understanding of the truth.
We might be tempted to think of ‘spiritual motherhood’ in that context as purely metaphorical, when in reality it signifies a deeper, more real motherhood. I dare say that the Virgin Mary is more our mother than any biological mother, analogously as our Heavenly Father is more our father than any biological father. The mystery of grace truly makes us children of God and heirs of glory. Therefore, our truest homeland is heaven.
This simple yet profound Catholic truth has the power to provide the key to understanding the roots of true communion and genuine social unity within our Catholic community beyond any cultural differences. This calls us to focus our efforts on evangelization and on shaping our deepest identity as children of God.
The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a call to renew our missionary zeal, rooted in our truest identity and citizenship. May the Virgin Mary reignite in us the fire of charity, upon which true heavenly fraternity can be inchoated, as we journey toward the celestial fulfillment of our vocation in the city of God.
Father Israel Perez–Lopez
Assistant Professor | Archbishop Charles Chaput Chair of Philosophy
St. John Vianney Theological Seminary
