Amarillo—Victor Hugo Andrade, a seminarian studying for the priesthood for the Diocese of Amarillo, will be ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by Bishop Patrick J. Zurek Saturday, Dec. 8 during a 10:30am Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1200 South Washington.
For those unable to attend, the Mass will be broadcast on St. Valentine Catholic Radio—1360AM, KDJW; 1010AM and 94.5FM, KTNZ; online at
www.kdjw.org and on a low power FM in Castro County near Nazareth at 105.5FM, KHFN-LP.
Andrade, 30, is a native of Huandacareo, Michoacan, Mexico. He studied at the University of St. Mary of the Lake-Mundelein Seminary and Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and has a Masters of Divinity.
In a May 21, 2017 seminarian profile in
The West Texas Catholic, Andrade was asked about his call to the priesthood.
“I have always felt the call to be a priest—this is something that has been with me since I have age of knowledge,” he said. “Since my arrival to the Diocese of Amarillo, every time I think of the grace of becoming a priest for this local church of Amarillo, my heart is overwhelmed with joy and excitement, because it is truly a blessing to share the Message of Salvation, that God has loved us first and has sent His only begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose on the third day, and that to be fully human means to come to know Jesus Christ and to learn from Him what it means to be human.”
Andrade also offered this advice for those discerning a vocation to the priesthood:
“To serve this local Church of Amarillo as a priest is indeed a humbling honor and blessing which no one merits but which Our Lord chooses to call,” he said. “If you feel the call to be a priest, pray, pray first. Pope Francis reminded us that, ‘Vocations are born in prayer and from prayer; and only through prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.’ Pray and spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist, seek the Sacraments and share your journey of Faith and call with a priest, and most important, do not be afraid.”