USD Magazine Spring 2016

Mission Deciding whether or n t to become a priest begins with a calling. Of course, that ’s just the first step . Men on a

by Ka ren Gros s

Photography by Tim Mantoani

Tucked among the dorms and apartments east of the main campus, adjacent to the athletic fields, partially obscured behind an automatic metal gate, sits a tranquil piece of property that’s owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego. This placid enclave near the lip of Tecolote Canyon houses resident and visiting priests, Bishop Emeritus Robert Brom, and a small group of religious young men who live in a sprawling ranch house built in the 1970s. Officially known as the St. Francis de Sales Center for Priests and Priestly Formation, this unassuming house is the diocesan pre-theology seminary at USD. It’s where Catholic men like Felipe Toscano, 21, officially begin their path to priesthood through a program of discernment and formation. Beyond San Diego’s active Catholic community, many people don’t even know it exists. “I felt God invited me to the priesthood. I had the option to say yes or no,” Toscano says. “Saying no was a lot easier for me. I had to give up a lot to do this. But in trusting the Lord, I was able to discover that if I follow this invitation, I might actually find the best version of myself.”

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