"For the Lord, age is no barrier," said Father Juan Daza Jara, who at the age of 64 and after 40 years of serving as a coadjutor brother of the Little Work of Divine Providence, was ordained a priest. He now shares the story of a "yes" that matured in the light of service.
Born in Laja, a small rural community on the banks of the Bío Bío River 28 miles from Los Ángeles, Chile, Daza still fondly remembers his grandmother Trinidad, who taught him how to pray "and to trust in God with a simple faith."
These days, he also turns his thoughts with gratitude toward Father Félix Eicher, the first parish priest of his hometown, a Belgian priest who remained there for 50 years and whom he still remembers today as "a great man who helped me, guided me, and accompanied me" during his vocational discernment, he recounted in an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.
During this period of accompaniment, Eicher recommended St. Luigi Orione to him as a model whose example sparked in him the desire "to become a brother so that I could serve the most needy in a more direct way."
As part of his discernment, in 1985 he spent a year in Argentina, completing his novitiate with the Little Work of Divine Providence. Currently, he directs a "Cottolengo" care facility housing 107 elderly residents.
A new calling
To be a coadjutor brother, he explained, means fulfilling the four vows: "Poverty, obedience, chastity, and fidelity to the pope," which is the fourth vow of the Congregation of Don Orione. "I abide by all the regulations, and I have all the rights and duties of the congregation," he said, adding that he has always felt "very content and very happy" with his consecration to religious life.
However, after several decades of service, he began to hear from colleagues and friends telling him: "The congregation needs priests; you've got to become a priest."
At first, the religious offered some resistance: "I would say: 'No! I feel content, fulfilled by what I do — happy,'" he recalled. But more recently, he began hearing this urging more frequently from acquaintances, as well as from priests within the diocese and the congregation, prompting him to consider more seriously this inner stirring. "Perhaps this had been within me all along, only I hadn't wanted to bring it to the surface," he began to think.
"I prayed about it extensively, discussed it with people of greater experience, and let them help me to be sure about this step. And after 40 years as a coadjutor brother and seven years as a permanent deacon, this restlessness arose in me about giving the Lord a more serious response regarding the path toward the priesthood," he explained. Consequently, during a visit from one of the superiors of the congregation who had arrived from Rome, Daza presented his situation to him.
Understanding each step as God's will
Following that conversation, he sent a letter to Rome as required by the formal process and also spoke with the bishop of Los Ángeles, Cristián Castro Toovey. "But I never thought this would happen so quickly," he acknowledged with surprise.
So it was that on March 21, accompanied by his mother, María Jara, and in the presence of brothers in his congregation and communities hailing from various parts of Chile and even his novitiate classmate, Father Sergio Jiménez (who had traveled from Argentina), Daza was ordained a priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Los Ángeles by the local bishop.
Reflecting on this new path that God has set before him, he said: "One must understand it as the will of God and the ways of God in the life of a human being."
"Since making my first vows, I have felt fulfilled and happy in the congregation. Today, more than ever, for this step is a huge step, a greater responsibility," he shared.
As he relived the moment of his ordination, Daza recalled it as "a great mystery," a moment in which he experienced "many conflicting emotions."
"I don't know how to explain it, because there are moments when you feel as if you are 'up there,'" he said. And he especially cherishes the presence of his fellow brothers: "It was something of immense importance."
Regarding his first Mass, he said: "As I walked behind the priests in the middle of the church, I felt something truly immense; it's very difficult to explain, like a feeling of joy, of weeping for joy. It was a very powerful experience."
A greater commitment to the people
Currently, Daza remains very active. "Don Orione always went all in," he noted as he enumerated the works of the congregation currently active in Chile: the Home for the Elderly, the ministry to young offenders, and the farm that helps generate resources for the home, tasks that demand both his time and energy. Now, in addition, pastoral care has been added to his responsibilities.
The priest said he believes that, in these times, "there must be a greater commitment to the people. People need to be heard; they need someone to dedicate time to them."
"I'm a bit hyperactive, so that's an exercise I'm going to have to undertake," he joked.
"I am deeply grateful to God and to the congregation, because my daily routine revolves around being able to help people spiritually. Many already know me, they know I can be a bit quirky," he quipped, "but it seems I inspire a certain amount of trust. I am content and happy; the fact that people feel heard, loved, and respected, that's already a big step," he emphasized.
Be courageous and let others help you
Finally, the priest addressed young people, encouraging them "to be courageous in giving a response, in placing themselves at the Lord's disposal, and in letting the Lord carry out his will."
In this regard, he recalled the motto of his ordination — "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want," and assured them: "If you give yourselves over to him, you will lack nothing in your life. We have more than we sometimes imagine," he shared.
To those considering the possibility of the priesthood, he advised: "Pray often, allow yourself to be helped a great deal, be open with the people the Lord puts on your path, take heart, and I say it again: Don't be afraid; take the step, and the Lord will help you afterwards."
"In my case, it has been 40 years and today I can say with complete peace of mind that I have never once felt any doubt about my vocation, if this was truly my path or not because I have always felt secure, supported, and so loved by everyone; and that is what has kept me happy all along."
"For the Lord, age is of no consequence; what matters is simply having the desire to help," he said.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
