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July 1, 2014
During the priestly ordinations of four priests on May 31, Father Francisco J. Quezada, left photo, lays hands on his nephew Father David Bayardo and Father Auscenero Rivero Pérez, right photo, lays hands on his nephew Father Alfredo Villarreal. Father Quezada is from the Diocese of Colorado Springs and Father Pérez is from Monterrey in Nuevo León, Mexico. By laying on of hands the ordaining bishop and the other priests invoke the Holy Spirit to come down upon the one to be ordained, giving him a sacred character and setting him apart for his ministry.
Mary Cottingham, South Texas Catholic
It was fitting and more than appropriate that the hymn “Here I am, Lord",” which calls God's people to serve the Lord, was sung May 31 at the ordination of Father David Bayardo and Father Alfredo Villarreal. Not only did these two men say, “Here I am Lord,” their family members–who watched with rapture-filled, tear-stained faces–also answered the call when they shared their sons and brothers with the church.“I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
I will speak my words to them.
Whom shall I send?
“Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord.
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, where you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.”
–– Here I am, Lord
“I am filled with happiness and grace,” Maria Villarreal, mother of Father Villarreal said. “He is the third priest in our family and he just couldn’t be anything else. I have always known that he was something special. Even people who didn’t know him always said that there was something different about him.
“I couldn’t be happier and this is the greatest blessing from the Lord. No one else but him could have given us this honor. I feel so close to the Lord today and I put all my family in his hands.”
Father Villarreal’s older sister, Leti Barnes, brought her family from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to be with her brother on this joyous occasion. “I feel so overwhelmed and just proud,” she said. “He was always a moral person who followed the rules. He is kind and everybody who knows him calls him their best friend.”
Barnes said that her brother called each of the members of his family and personally told them of his plans to enter the priesthood and no one tried to get him to change his mind. Rather, they all thought it perfect that he knew God’s will and carried on the family tradition of serving the Lord.
Sonia Villarreal, Father Villarreal’s cousin, traveled from Queretaro, Mexico for the event. “He was always very noble, generous and honorable and gave counsel to all who needed it,” she said. “I am so proud of him. You could tell how much pride his friends and fellow priests also have in him. You could see the esteem that they have for him and the love the community has showed him in this ceremony.”
Father Villarreal’s mother said that families unite for many reasons, including weddings, first communions and other occasions, “but this was greater than all of these. It was a great moment of happiness not only for our family but also our entire Catholic family.”
Kathryn Saenz, Father Bayardo’s sister also expressed her amazement at the beauty of the ordination ceremony. She remembered when her uncle, Father Francisco Javier Quezada, was ordained and compared it to her brother’s ordination.
“Back in 1988 when my uncle was ordained I remember watching the laying of hands and how impressive it was,” she said. “Then watching my brother go through the same thing I just felt it was the most special part for me. It’s so awesome because it’s the moment you know when it’s real.”
Saenz said she knew she would be watching her brother’s ordination someday.
“He was very young when he felt the call. He was an altar boy and was always at church,” she said. “We also grew up watching my uncle so it wasn’t something that was foreign to us. My parents never talked him out of it. They never said, ‘Oh we won’t have any more grandkids.’ My brother is their only son and they never said, ‘Oh the family name won’t be carried on.’ They supported him the entire step of the way.
“My brother might have made it here without the support of my parents, myself and my husband Andrew,” she said, “but I think it helped him. In turn he helped us become closer to the Lord through his relationship with the church.”
A few days after Father Bayardo’s ordination, his mother Diana Bayardo said she was still on “cloud nine,” adding that during this time she has been very emotional and constantly feels the presence of the Holy Spirit.
“It has been a long journey for him and for us too,” she said. “I see it as the end of one journey and the beginning of another. I feel so humbled that this honor has been given to me. I love Bishop [Michael] Mulvey so much and he’s been so good to David and the other seminarians. You can tell they are a priority to him. Sometimes I feel not worthy of all this. The diocese has been so good to us and to David.”
She also spoke of some the issues mentioned by her daughter, namely that others would often ask her if she was sad that her son would never give her grandchildren.
“It was funny because I was looking for a watch the other day and I turned up David’s hospital ID bracelet from when he was a baby. It was the Wednesday before the ordination when I found it and I just cried and cried, but not from sadness,” she said. “And I thought about what people ask me, about him never having children. You know, that never crossed my mind. I gained children through him. I gained the boys I see going into the seminary that are following his steps. I pray for them too and for their vocation. David’s vocation is all his. I never tried to influence him either way. We just all supported him 100 percent.”
Both families said that encouragement and understanding is crucial to ensuring that more women and men answer the call to vocations.
“Pray about it as well,” Saenz said. “Support your family member who is looking for a life in vocations.”
Father Juan Antonio Rivera Zamora of Monterrey, Mexico, who is Father Villarreal’s cousin, said that it is a great responsibility for a family to have a member who is a priest or a sister.
“We invite everyone to offer many prayers for vocations,” Father Rivera said. “It is through asking for more to enter that more will enter.”