How Jesús is walking a path to Sainthood

IT’S A LONG-AWAITED WARM DAY and Jesús Hernández, like many twenty-somethings, is hanging out with his friends. On this particular Sunday afternoon, Jesús, his brother Oscar and a friend, Alex, are commiserating about Michigan State University’s loss in the Final Four while they swap light-hearted quips about a host of things from girlfriends to wardrobe choices. They’re soon joined by another person who they greet with big smiles.

What makes this scene unique? It’s taking place in the middle of Holy Angels Church in Sturgis and that jovial friend, late to the conversation, is the young men’s pastor, Father Evelio Ramirez, who immediately gets in some not-so-subtle hints about each of the them joining the seminary and becoming priests for the diocese.

At first glance, Jesús Hernández is similar to many young adults his age. He loves hanging out with friends, playing soccer and traveling to parts unknown.

But unlike many twenty-somethings, most of Jesús’ extracurricular activities center on his connection to his parish and to his Catholic faith.

According to Pew Research Center, a little more than a third of the adults born between 1981 and 1996 do not identify with any religion tradition. Other research reveals that those same young adults stop identifying as Catholics at a median age of 13, long before they cease attending a parish. A further study by St. Mary’s Press found that many who stopped identifying as Catholics tended to have weak signs of attachment to the Church. More than half of respondents in the survey said when they did consider themselves Catholic they were still only attending Mass a few times a year or less. Two-thirds of those same respondents had made their first Communion, but only a third had received the sacrament of confirmation. Nearly 60 percent had never been involved in any religious education or youth ministry.

Jesús admits to being on that same path, barely attending Mass, except for the “major holidays,” and almost becoming an agnostic while wrestling with his faith in high school. It was an invitation from his parish’s director of religious education, Rayito Tapia, and his own discernment that changed his course.

While his younger sister was preparing for first Communion Rayito invited Jesús, along with his brother Oscar, to participate in a Jornada retreat. Jesús credits his participation in Jornada as completely changing his commitment to his Catholic faith.

“Participating in the Jornada helped us truly develop a relationship with Christ. I didn’t just let the retreat become an event,” he said.

And how does Jesús develop that relationship with his namesake?

“Through prayer and keeping him first,” he answered easily.

Jesús has come a long way from the shy 10-year-old who moved to Sturgis from Michoacan, Mexico — about four hours west of Mexico City. It was during this time, after his father’s death, his widowed mother wanted to move closer to family. Many people from Michoacan had already immigrated to the Sturgis area to work for a large employer that has since gone out of business.

Jesús’ two older sisters came to the area first. One of them sacrificed her own high school education so she could work full-time to support the family. She eventually earned her GED and today is happily married with two young children.

Honored by his sister’s sacrifice, Jesús now works full time in the RV industry to support his widowed mom and younger siblings. While he would love to go to college someday, he’s proud to support his family.

“It’s my turn,” he said. “I’m thankful for the sacrifices my sister made. You can’t have love without sacrifice.”

Jesús speaks with a wisdom beyond his 27 years. And it’s this youthful enthusiasm and love for the Church that Pope Francis hopes will be even more encouraged. As he wrote recently in his apostolic exhortation, Christus Vivit, after the conclusion of the Synod on Young Adults:

"Young friends, don’t wait until tomorrow to contribute your energy, your audacity and your creativity to changing our world. Your youth is not an ‘in-between time.’ You are the now of God, and he wants you to bear fruit.[said recently — young adults aren’t the future of the Church — they are the Church. [178, Christus Vivit]

Jesús is a perfect illustration of the “now” the Holy Father references. His parish ministries occupy his time for an entire Sunday. He frequently attends both the English- and Spanish-language Masses, in-between teaches confirmation class and in late afternoon invites a group of young adults to come together — sometimes for Eucharistic adoration.

Jesús also makes the time to coach soccer at the local high school. He felt compelled to give back in the same way he was positively influenced by his own coaches. “The Lord has put great people in my life,” he said.

But he’s reluctant to accept any pats on the back.

“I’m just trying to live a life based on the truth which means living and being active in the Church.”

When asked why he’s so different from other young adults his age who don’t participate in Church, Jesús is quick to not judge them. He explained, “Many people my age are confused and have misconceptions about the teachings [of the Church].”

He hopes he can attract others through the life he’s living.

Just last fall, through the urging of his friends and community, he participated in a weekend Cursillo and proudly wears the recognizable Cursillo cross. And, he admits, he got over the fact that he was one of the younger participants that weekend, making his Cursillo alongside the parents of the students in his confirmation class and those on his soccer team.

And one of his greatest compliments?

“I’ve had parents come to me and my brother and ask us to invite their kids [back to Mass] or to a young adult gathering.”

Jesús admits it’s not always easy being faithful to Church teachings at this stage in his life. “It’s tough,” he said. “You’ll be singled out and made fun of. But there’s always a lot of reward from that [challenge] as well. Our biggest goal is to be seeking holiness and Mother Church has the same path for us — to sainthood.”

Jesús hopes that one journey on that path involves a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines, Ill.

His vision for the pilgrimage is inspired by his father. “My father made the journey to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe for 10 years on foot.”

Jesús adds that in the Mexican tradition this journey is a significant “form of penance. It’s also a journey of gratitude.”

His dream? To plan a similar walking pilgrimage for young adults charting a course from the Diocese of Kalamazoo to the Shrine of the Passion in Des Plaines, Ill. He hopes to get it off the ground time for summer 2020, with the goal of bringing young adults together “for a time of reflection and celebration of our heritage.”

So what’s next for Jesús?

“To evangelize by bringing joy to people. For me, it’s the relationship with God, that joy, that I hope to continue to use to inspire others.

“We are all a part of the Church Christ founded and all of have those friendships we can journey with.

” And what about the priesthood?

Jesús smiled and said, “It’s not something completely off the table.”