
Alan Soto Hopkins
Birthday | July 23 |
Ordination Year | 2023 |
Home Town | Nogales |
Home Parish | Sacred Heart |
Undergraduate | Mount Angel Seminary (Philosophy and Literature) |
Languages | English and Spanish |
Hobbies | Music and Reading |
Favorite Saint | St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face |
Vocation Story | At around the young age of 8 years old, I felt a desire to one day become a priest. Growing up as a kid I had the opportunity to be an altar server, interact with seminarians, and with priests who I looked up to. I think this was influential in having that desire as a kid. As I grew up, however, I moved to a different town and that participation that I had with my parish was lost. Throughout middle school and high school, I pushed that desire away and focused instead on academics and social life, hoping to one day have a successful career, get married, and have a family. However, during my senior year of high school, friends (who knew I was catholic) would question me about my faith. This led me to do research online, more for the fact that I wanted to be right instead of an actual interest in learning more about my faith. Unexpectedly, however, I became fascinated by the richness and beauty of Catholicism. By doing further research into the faith is how I came across the term “vocation”. Learning about this led me to realize that God has a specific plan for all of us. After graduating from high school I had a desire to discover what was God’s will for my life. Which led me to ask myself “If I want to discover God’s will for my life, should I not also reconsider the possibility of the priesthood instead of assuming I am not called to become a priest?” During the summer after high school and during the year that I studied at the University of Arizona, through prayer, Divine Providence, through different events and people, I came to the realization that God was calling me to further discern my call to priesthood in the seminary. During my time at the seminary as I continue to discern God’s call for my life through prayer, comments from the faithful, and comments from my supervisors I continue to feel called by God to one day serve as a priest formed according to the heart of Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd. |
Priest Aspirations | Bringing the grace and mercy of God to others, especially through celebrating the sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession. |