'God Was Always Calling Me': Archbishop Golka Ordains a New Priest at the Guadalupe Shrine
- Rocio Madera
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
In his first visit to the church named after Our Lady of Guadalupe, the new shepherd of northern Colorado emphasized the importance of the priesthood and of surrender.
On the feast of Corpus Christi, the day dedicated to the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the archdiocesan community welcomed a new priest, who will draw us closer to Jesus in the Eucharist.
Exactly six months after his diaconal ordination, Father Juan Diego de María Gómez Jiménez, a Theatine, was ordained to the priesthood on June 7 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Denver.
The joyful celebration included Father Gómez Jiménez's Theatine community, visiting priests, parishioners and, as special guests, his mother and family members who traveled from Mexico. The ordination was presided over by Archbishop James Golka in a liturgy celebrated primarily in Spanish.
In his first visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and at his first ordination of a Theatine brother, Archbishop Golka thanked God and the Theatine community and expressed his joy at ordaining a new priest on the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.
“This is the first time I have met the Theatine brothers. I want to express my deep gratitude for their presence in our archdiocese and my joy in conferring ordination on a member of their order. The Theatines are missionaries; they come here especially to serve immigrants and minister to them,” Archbishop Golka said.
He then reminded those present of the true mission of priests in the Church.
“The man who is a priest must allow Jesus Christ to act through him. We cannot have a priest if Jesus Christ is not working in our lives. For every sacrament, the best shepherd, pastor and priest is Christ,” the archbishop explained.
“Today is about surrendering to Jesus Christ and entering more deeply into his life and his heart,” he continued, addressing Father Gómez Jiménez. “May your teaching be nourishment for the people of God. May your life be an inspiration to the disciples of Christ, so that through your word and example the holy house that is the Church of God may continue to be built up.”
Before beginning the ordination rite, the archbishop invited the soon-to-be priest to give himself completely to Jesus Christ by placing his heart at the service of the Holy Spirit and trusting in God’s grace.
“Understand what you are doing. Imitate what you celebrate, so that as you commemorate the mystery of the Lord’s death and Resurrection, you strive to put to death whatever is sinful within you and walk in newness of life,” Archbishop Golka emphasized.
“Remember that you have been chosen from among men and appointed to serve God in the things of God,” the archbishop exhorted him. “Carry out, then, the ministry of Christ the Priest with joy and integrity, seeking not your own interests but those of Jesus Christ.”
(Photos by Juan Andrés Coriat/Denver Catholic)
Reflecting on his ordination, Father Gómez Jiménez expressed a mixture of emotions, but above all joy and gratitude after experiencing one of the most special days of his life.
“There are no words to describe that experience,” he said, nearly speechless.
Although he has experienced many significant encounters with God throughout his religious life, this celebration represented the culmination of his vocational journey.
“This time it was overwhelming. It was an emotion greater than myself. It was very, very special,” Father Gómez Jiménez told the Denver Catholic.
Among the many moments that remained engraved in his heart, one stood out in a particular way: the gesture of closeness and fraternity he received from his shepherd.
“When he embraced me, I felt an immense sense of fraternity, a very paternal gesture,” the priest said.
Beyond the emotions of the day, the ordination also gave Father Gómez Jiménez a profound sense of belonging, something he had sought since childhood.
“I felt a very powerful presence. A sense of peace, of closeness. A sense of belonging — belonging to the Church,” he explained.
Father Gómez Jiménez was deeply moved by the affection shown by the people and by the community's welcome after his ordination.
“They hugged me, prayed for me, gave me gifts, kissed my hands and didn’t want to let go,” the newly ordained priest recalled. “I realized the affection our Catholic people have for their priests. I saw the hunger for God that priests bring to us. It was something new and very beautiful for me.”
Father Gómez Jiménez recognized God’s constant action in his life and how each step led him to this moment of vocational fulfillment. In this way, he sees his Baptism as the beginning of his journey of faith.
“Baptism planted within me a seed of belonging to the Church,” he explained. “Now that I have been ordained a priest, I feel as though I am on Mount Tabor at the Transfiguration. I feel that this is the culmination of everything and that it was baptism that led me here, to God.”
While it was a day filled with blessings and emotion, it was only the beginning of a journey with God. Father Gómez Jiménez then traveled to Guanajuato, Mexico, to celebrate his first Mass in his hometown, surrounded by his family.
“I drifted away from the Church after my confirmation. Years later, I returned. It took me two years to move from the last pew to the first. Then it took me 11 years to move from the first pew to the altar, and today I am on this side, as a priest,” he concluded while reflecting on his vocation. “God was always calling me.”
