3 Future Seminarians Reveal How ‘Called By Name’ Nominations Prompt God’s Calling

These young men’s stories show how the “Called By Name” invitation participates in an often deep-seated discernment process

Young men like Denver seminarian Ashton Mendoza (pictured here following the Holy Thursday liturgy) and incoming seminarians Francisco Avila, Jeremy Gillett and David Lopez Gutierrez are among those the Lord calls into the vineyard here in Northern Colorado. But the Church needs more spiritual fathers — a need leading to a second Called By Name campaign. (Photo by Dan Petty/Denver Catholic)

Francisco Avila, Jeremy Gillett and David Lopez Gutierrez are “Called By Name.” They have received and are entering a call that you and your fellow Catholics often catalyze.

The journeys of these three young men, who are soon to be entering St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver, reflect the work God does through others to illuminate the call to the priesthood. Last year, parishioners across the Archdiocese of Denver nominated them, and other young Catholic men ages 15 to 35 like them, through the Called By Name campaign. Avila, Gillett and Lopez Gutierrez were three among more than 900 names shared with the archdiocese’s Vocations Office in 2025, with nearly 100 of those men discerning that call on retreat last summer.

Men who are nominated receive a letter from Archbishop James R. Golka, information and opportunities for discernment and an invitation to connect with Father Jason Wallace, archdiocesan director of vocations.

Anyone who nominates a young man through Called By Name is encouraged to offer contact information to reach him.

These three young men are among the 22 incoming seminarians for the fall of 2026. As some of the following stories share, the seeds are often planted in future seminarians far before a Called By Name nomination comes in, but that nomination can help the soil deliver fruit that God can use to evangelize the world.

Francisco Avila had the privilege of meeting Father Mike Schmitz during his visit to Avila's parish. (Photo provided)

It Starts With An Invitation

This past Good Friday, Avila took part in his parish’s Stations of the Cross, hiking up a mountain and taking turns carrying a large, heavy cross. His trip reflected what many experience in the pathway to the seminary.

“All I could remember was [thinking] I'm not worthy to carry it. They were giving people the chance to carry it, but I felt I wasn't worthy of it,” Avila said. “Yet I was walking right next to the person carrying the cross. I was basically less than five feet away from the cross at all times. I was so close to it. It looked like I wanted to carry it, [but] I was overthinking in my mind.”

All Avila needed in retrospect was an invitation, the kind that Called By Name creates for a future seminarian like the senior at Battle Mountain High School in Edwards received moments later.

“One of the leaders touched my shoulder and said, ‘Do you want to carry it?’” he remembered. “Of course, if you're telling me to carry it, then yeah.”

Avila says that the seeds of his seminary discernment began at a young age, as the child who always wanted to be a soldier recognized he wasn’t called to become one for the military, but for his Catholic faith.

It led to a mentor relationship with Father Wallace, and eventually to his application to the seminary.

“The kid who was told by Jesus that day to become a soldier, he's jumping within me right now. He's happy that it's falling into place,” Avila said. “Let yourself be called. Empty your mind. Just be there. God has good timing. If and when he's ready to call you, he will. And you'll know. You'll know when he calls you.”

Jeremy Gillett (back row, left) smiles with teammates and a friend on the street during his Summer of Service with Christ in the City in Denver. (Photo provided)

‘This Place is Home’

A recent graduate from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Gillett typically goes home to Longmont during the summer. He goes to Mass with parishioners who know of him and recognize a potential future priest.

“I had a handful of people who stopped me after Mass and said, ‘Hey, I’d love to nominate you’ or ‘Hey, I think you’d make a great priest,’” Gillett said. “Mostly ladies, I think my mom being one of them.”

Gillett had the privilege of serving the wedding Mass of one of his sisters. (Photo provided)

Gillett said the seed of his vocation was planted around sixth grade, when a new priest assigned to his parish encouraged all the students to dive deeper into their faith. An experience he called a mountain retreat offered an Adoration that led him to feel “a burning in my heart,” which he said was a desire for the priesthood.

Yet the Called By Name letter that eventually moved him toward the seminary came from a very unexpected source.

“I was going on dates at that time,” he said. “I was just not really sure if I wanted to go to seminary. When that whole campaign happened, [my girlfriend] sent it to me and said, ‘Can I nominate you for this? I was like, ‘Okay, that's probably a good time to cut this [relationship] up.’”

A summer serving with Christ in the City and the Called By Name retreat moved him along the pathway to applying for the seminary.

“I feel like if I don't go to seminary, I'm going to be asking the question if I'm called to be a priest for the rest of my life. That's why I'm going to seminary, to try and get that question answered,” Gillett said. “I feel like I've gone to a couple of discernment retreats at the seminary, and every time it just feels like this place is home. It very much feels like a good place to be.”

David Lopez Guttierez, center, pictured with his family on his graduation. (Photo provided)

A Priestly Witness

Like Avila and Gillett, Lopez Gutierrez already had seeds well-planted for discerning the priesthood before any Called By Name letter would come. His journey began when he was 16.

“It was like a really strong attraction, and it came from one of our priests here who was just really compassionate, young and super energetic,” he said. “You could really see that that was his calling, that he wanted to bring people to God, and he was happy in his priesthood. That's when I kind of just started thinking about it, started going to Adoration and praying about it.”

Lopez Guttierez, pictured in the back row on the right, served Mass for Archbishop Aquila during his parish's 100th anniversary celebrations. (Photo provided)

He started work as a medical assistant and entered nursing school, but he had built a connection with Father Wallace over time. Eventually, he met now-retired Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila while serving a centennial celebration Mass at St. Michael Parish in Craig, his home parish.

“He was like, ‘David, great job serving. Have you ever considered a vocation?’ And I just kind of giggled,” he shared. “He was like, ‘Well, I'll put you in contact with Father Jason Wallace.’ ‘I said, ‘Archbishop, I've been meeting with him.’”

A short time later, he received the Called By Name letter, attended a discernment retreat at the seminary, met the archbishop again and eventually applied.

“What's going to be the worst thing that can happen? if I just decide to apply?” he said. “I went in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and I just told the Lord, ‘I will apply, and I'll let you guide my life.”

Open Nominations

Faithful from across the archdiocese are invited to prayerfully consider the men in their lives, families, parishes and communities who might make good, holy and happy priests. During Called By Name weekend, April 25-26, priests will share their vocation stories and invite others to consider how God might be calling them, too. Between now and then, nominations may be submitted at denvervocations.com/calledbyname.