A Generous Heart 

Ian Bravado wants to be a priest. A senior at Plainville High School, where he is the captain of the varsity soccer team, Bravado was the subject of an article featured in The Stamford Advocate last Sunday (4/5/26) that’s well worth reading. From a young age, Bravado showed deep interest in many things, particularly his Catholic faith. To his own surprise, during his freshman year of high school he found himself thinking about priesthood. Although he didn’t share that with anyone at the time, people from his home parish, including the pastor, noticed his maturity, his prayerfulness, and his heart for service and they encouraged him to consider the priesthood. Thinking back on it, he says: “I believe that maybe Our Lord put that thought in their minds so they could convey that to me and so I could eventually [follow] down this road.” With time, the call seemed to grow stronger. “It always just kept pulling at me. I could never, like, extinguish the flame. That’s what I would say is at the core of my calling, that constant pull that I feel that encourages me to keep pursuing these things.” During his junior year he began seriously discerning whether to enter seminary after graduation. “It was through a lot of research and passion, I just fell in love with Catholicism, Our Lord, and I’ve continued to grow in that calling. I believe now, God willing, I will become a priest. I hope that is the case. That is my continual calling.” This fall, Bravado will enter priestly formation for the Archdiocese of Hartford, enrolling at Providence College, where he will pursue a degree in philosophy, while residing at Our Lady of Providence Seminary (OLP). There, he will live with around 35 other college seminarians and receive the guidance of the seminary’s formation faculty. From there he would go to what’s called a “major seminary” to receive 4 years of more intense formation before ordination. His parents were initially concerned about their son’s interest in entering seminary so young. But conversations with the Vocation Director eased their concerns and they now say they are very excited for their son. As for his friends, “[they] have been fantastic understanding this. They’re not as religious as me, but they’ve been supportive…. I’ve never gotten any type of disrespect from them. More like curiosity, and I think that’s very beautiful and I’m lucky everyone has taken it well.”  

A priestly vocation is always a mysterious thing. It is a grace in the life of a young man, an unmerited invitation to a special life of ministerial service to Christ and His Church. The sacrifices involved are real. But every well-lived life requires sacrifice, and priesthood is a supremely meaningful and fulfilling life. Moreover, as someone whose uncle was a priest, I assure you that a vocation is a tremendous blessing to a family. It is also a mercy in the life of the Church, for we are not worthy of the priesthood. Yet, the Lord still calls men to be priests because He loves His people and wants us to have Communion with Him and the forgiveness of sins. We must be mindful of this in our parish, praying daily for vocations from our community and encouraging young men to seriously consider it. Yes, responding to a priestly vocation requires a generous heart. But the Lord will not be outdone in generosity. 

posted 4/11/26