An Inspiration On My Journey Towards Priesthood

By Fr August T., Friend of Con-solatio

I first encountered Con-solatio as a seminarian during the winter of 2016. I was sent as a part of my formation to stay and minister with them for a month in their mission in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, NY. It was perhaps the best single month of my seven years of seminary formation.

During that month, I had a number of wonderful opportunities to really dive into ministry with the poor. We went into the projects, apartments, nursing homes, and soup kitchens. There we brought the incarnational presence of God to those who were suffering from all different kinds of hardship. We met with people weighed down by the burden of illness and old age, people who had been left behind long ago by family or friends, people who came to this country and were struggling to get a foothold, people who had lost everything due to an addiction, people who had no one else to visit them. It was hard work. It was, at times, heartbreaking, but it was the work of Jesus Christ and because of that, because it was Him who was our mission, it was beautiful.

All this time, I felt like a brother in this special Con-solatio family which was brought together by Christ, edified by His words, and nourished by his Body and Blood. I am grateful for my time with Con-solatio. It inspired and encouraged me on my journey towards becoming a priest.