60 years a priest, archbishop offers 10 tips for persevering in one’s vocation

“Lord, give me the grace to be faithful to you and to the Church until eternity” is the daily prayer of retired Archbishop Ramón Benito de la Rosa y Carpio. / Credit: Anthony García, assistant to the archbishop emeritus

ACI Prensa Staff, Feb 20, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Archbishop Ramón Benito de la Rosa y Carpio was born on Sept. 19, 1939, a little over 85 years ago, in the town of Higüey in the Dominican Republic, the country where he has spent himself and wore himself out for the faithful entrusted to him. 

The midwife who attended to his Mami Nena, as he affectionately calls his mother, was his great-grandmother Damiana Cedano, who that day prophesied what would later come true: “Nenita, your son is a boy and he will be a priest.”

Sharing in this marvelous way how his story began, the archbishop expressed his gratitude to those who participated in the celebration of his 60 years of priesthood, which was held at the cathedral of Santiago de los Caballeros, an archdiocese he pastored from 2003 to 2015.

“Thank you, Mommy Nena, for teaching me from the time I was in your womb to pray, to love God and his mother, and to not be afraid of anything, clinging to the redeeming cross of Christ. Thank you, Papa Beno, for teaching me to be a man like you, capable of commitment, of being responsible and of having the right intention in my conduct.”

The archbishop, who was also auxiliary bishop of Santo Domingo and bishop of Our Lady of Alta Gracia in Higüey, said he felt the call of God in January 1954, when he was 14 years old, while reading the book “El Drama de Jesús” (“The Drama of Jesus”) by Jesuit priest José Julio Martínez and that he also made “the octave of Altagracia for my priestly vocation, going every day to its shrine.”

“If I were 14 years old again and if at that age I had to make a decision, I would be a priest again, I would choose the Lord as my only inheritance. I feel completely fulfilled,” he emphasized.

On Jan. 23, 1965, at the age of 25, De la Rosa was ordained a priest at the shrine of Our Lady of Altagracia by Bishop Juan Félix Pepén. On Jan. 6, 1989, at age 49, he was consecrated a bishop by Pope John Paul II in Rome.

His final words on the day of the celebration of his 60 years as a priest were: “When I look back, I feel good. I don’t know how many days, months, or years the Lord will give me among you, but every day I do pray to him and say this prayer: Lord, give me the grace to be faithful to you and to the Church until eternity.”

“On Jan. 23, 1965, I was ordained a priest at the feet of this blessed image of [Our Lady of] Altagracia, venerated by all the Dominican people as Mother Protectress. Sixty years later, as one more pilgrim, I have climbed up [the stairs] again to her altar, located in the basilica, her home and everyone’s home.” 

On the occasion of his 60th anniversary as a priest, De la Rosa shared with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, 10 pieces of advice for all priests and those who discover a vocation or open themselves to the possibility of one to persevere in it.

1. God called you — never doubt it.

“First, remain sure that it was God who called you. Never doubt it. I have always been sure for 60 years that God has called me and I have never felt a temptation or thoughts contrary to this vocation. I have felt sure, I have never doubted. That is why I remain sure and I feel as happy now as I did 60 years ago with my time in the seminary,” the Dominican archbishop emphasized.

 2. Go where you are sent.

“The second idea that occurs to me is this: Wherever they send you, go. Always be open to the ministerial mission, open to universality,” he recommended. “Wherever they send you, go. Always feel open to the universal mission.”

3. Value the powers you have received.

“Third idea: Always value the powers you have received. It is wonderful what the Lord grants to a priest,” the prelate emphasized.

“The first thing that draws my attention is the power of the Eucharist and not only being able to say Mass and being able to see that I can celebrate the Eucharist, changing the bread into the body of Christ and the wine into the blood of Christ, but I see that it is really so, by the fruits that are seen.”

In addition, De la Rosa referred to the ability a Catholic priest has to administer other sacraments, such as the anointing of the sick.

4. Remember that there will be “envy and gossip.”

“Fourth point: People will be envious and gossip. People will be envious, as happened to Cain. I think that it happens to everyone, to all human beings, in all ministries. You will be gossiped about inside the Church and outside the Church.”

“But always remember what Jesus Christ said, woe to you if everyone speaks well of you. The important thing is to carry out the ministry, to do what we have to do and to bless,” the archbishop encouraged.

5. There will be problems.

The archbishop pointed out that the problems in the life of the priest “are not vocational but of another type” and that work must be done to find a solution.

6. Leaving the priestly ministry doesn’t solve the problems.

After reiterating that the priest’s problems “are not vocational or of celibacy,” the archbishop emphasized: “Never look for a solution to priestly problems by leaving the ministry. I always believe that those who have left the ministry had a vocation.”

So he recommended that, in these situations, the priest has to “do what has to be done.”

7. Always say yes.

The prelate said he saw many fruits in his life by always saying yes and “never saying no.”

“One time I made the decision to say no to people because they were failing me. I said so to a woman who was telling me, ‘Come celebrate my daughter’s 15th birthday at my house.’ I said, ‘I can’t, I won’t go, I have pastoral ministry to do.’” However, because of the woman’s insistence, he finally went and thus understood the importance of not refusing the call of his flock.

8. Greet everyone.

“An eighth point that occurs to me is to greet everyone. I always remember my father who told me: ‘Ramón, until the last old lady is greeted, you will not have greeted everyone.’ I still maintain that position after 60 years.”

9. “God has a way”: Trust in providence.

“Ninth, when faced with life’s problems, I have to say what I learned from my great-grandmother, which I told my mother: ‘God has a way.’ There wasn’t a cent in the house to enter the seminary, but ‘God has a way,’ my great-grandmother told my mother, and the means were found,” he recounted, emphasizing that he was always able to find a solution to complicated financial situations.

“God has a way, God has a way to find solutions,” he added, and advised: “Work and you will never die of hunger.”

“The shirts that I wear now, with 60 years gone by, I haven’t bought any of them, people give them to me. Which is why I can say that God has a way. Divine providence takes care of you,” he said.

10. Priestly loneliness?

“People talk to me about the loneliness of the priest. I am always surprised by this question, because I have never felt alone. I cannot speak of priestly loneliness,” the Dominican archbishop shared with ACI Prensa.

“I have always had people who accompany me,” he added. After emphasizing that he always seeks to be “attentive and available,” the prelate said “I’m not alone, I have communities that accompany me,” such as the faithful of the parishes, of his “domestic church.”

De la Rosa affirmed: “I thank God every day and I’m still alive. And I say, Lord, I will be alive to fulfill the mission that you give me. I repeat many times, I will always be a priest. A priest in everything, a priest forever.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.