MEET THE SEMINARIANS Get to know our seminarians and PRAY for them!

Oscar Lopez St. Mary, El Centro Birthday November 9th My name is Oscar Lopez Guevara and I was born in Jalisco, Mexico, in November of I spent my childhood in Jalisco up to the eighth grade. I arrived in the United States, in El Centro, CA when I was fourteen. I attended Central Union High School, and got my diploma in June After graduating from high school, I went to Imperial Valley College for two years. I was planning to study civil engineering or computer information systems, but God had in mind something different for me. I joined the Program of Priestly Formation at St. Francis Center in August, I am now studying Theology at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California.

Billy Zondler St James, Solana Beach Birthday March 4th I was born in San Diego on March 4, 1987 to Bill and Lisé Zondler. I have a younger brother Jared who is three years younger than me. I was baptized at St. James Parish in Solana Beach and was raised Catholic. It was at a Steubenville Youth Conference in 2004 that I first truly became open to the possibility of a priestly vocation. I went to University of California at Santa Barbara to study Japanese, however I withdrew after 3 years there and changed my major to Philosophy in an attempt to more seriously discern and pursue the priesthood. I lived with the Eudist Congregation of Jesus and Mary as discerner for a year before transferring to Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio to obtain a degree and continue to discern. While there I was a student in the Pre-Theologate Program, an intensive program of men’s priestly discernment and formation. I also was heavily involved in various ministries on-campus, which included leading a mission trip to Emmaus Ministries in Chicago. I graduated in May 2011 from Franciscan University with a degree in Philosophy. It was through prayer and the formation in the Pre- Theologate that I felt God calling me to apply to the Priestly Formation Program for Diocese of San Diego. I am currently in a Pastoral Year assignment at St. Michael’s in Poway.

Nathan Mc Weeney St. Margaret, Ocenside Birthday August 3rd I was born in Whittier, CA on August 3, My parents are Kevin and Barbara McWeeney, and they currently live in Oceanside, CA with my younger brother Eric and younger sister Lisa. For 18 years my family and I lived in Wrightwood CA, a small mountain town in the San Gabriel Mountain Range. In 2005 we moved from Wrightwood to Oceanside. Once in Oceanside, I began taking courses at Mira Costa College and later transferred to the California State University of San Marcos. In the fall of 2010 I graduated with a bachelors degree in Writing and Literature studies. During the two years leading up to my graduation, I played an active role in parish and campus ministry. I was also prayerfully discerning God's calling in my life. After my graduation I entered the Program for Priestly Formation and have since completed my studies in Philosophy at USD. Currently I am studying Theology at Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict Oregon and enjoying it very much.

Eric Tamayo St Pius X, Chula Vista Birthday November 11th My name is Eric Tamayo and I was born in Chula Vista, California, on November of I grew up in San Diego where I graduated from Chula Vista High School as salutatorian and eventually entered UCSD. I majored in pharmacological chemistry and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelors of Science. Before entering the seminary, I had the opportunity to work as a laboratory technician and received admission into UCSD’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy but ultimately discerned priesthood as my vocation. With the help of some great people and lots of prayer I spent my time discerning my vocation. We all have tough decisions to make in life but only when trusting in God do we find our true calling. So with a little trust I will be continuing in the Program of Priestly Formation at the Mt. Angel Seminary and look forward to seeing what God has in store for me next.

Raymond Phillip Napuli Our Lady of Guadalupe, Chula Vista Birthday October 5th I was born on October 5, 1989 in Maasin, Southern Leyte, Philippines and grew up in Chula Vista, CA. I was baptised in Our Lady of the Assumption Parish-Cathedral. My parents are Victor and Blesilda Napuli and I have a younger brother, Ryan. My family attends Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Chula Vista where I was blessed to be involved in the music ministry, in helping bring the Eucharist to the sick and homebound, and recently, serving as MC in liturgies. After high school, I moved to Stockton, CA to pursue musical studies at the Conservatory at the University of the Pacific. It was during this time, and through God's providence that I felt the call to discern God's will for me in a deeper way. Following graduation, I entered a House of Formation with the Stockton Diocese, and completed my Philosophy/Pre-Theology at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, CA. During my studies with the Sulpician Fathers there, I got involved with Sacred Music, the Schola Cantorum, ministries to a local school, and was exposed to the 4 Pillars of Priestly Formation (Spiritual, Intellectual, Pastoral, and Human). I had the opportunity to grow in prayer and a deeper understanding of God's calling for me and felt the call to return to San Diego to continue my formation. I am now blessed to be among men discerning at the St. Francis de Sales Center for the Diocese of San Diego and look forward to growing deeper in my relationship with God. Besides music and playing the violin, I enjoy Sacred Scripture, studying Philosophy -especially Thomistic and Aristotelian philosophy, history, and languages. I hope one day, if it is God's will, to become a humble and holy priest in service to others; especially the poor..

Michael O’Connor Corpus Christi, Bonita Birthday April 27th My name is Michael O'Connor. I was born on April 27, 1986 to Patrick Bartholomew O’Connor and Arlene Rogero O’Connor in San Diego, California. I was baptized at Saint Michael Catholic Church on October 19, My mother was a jewelry saleswoman and currently my father teaches electronics for City College on 32nd Street Naval Base. He is a volunteer sheriff's deputy in Lemon Grove as well. My father was a sonar tech in the navy. I attended the University of California, Berkeley from 2004 to My majors were Molecular and Cellular Biology with an emphasis in Neurosciences, and U.S History. After graduating I became a parishioner at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Chula Vista. I was a catechist there for four years. I spent over four years working in research laboratories at the University of California, San Diego. The first two years were in the psychiatry department developing drugs to treat schizophrenia and post-dramatic-stress-disorders. The next two years I was in the neuroscience department optimizing near-infered laser treatment for stroke patients. Now I am in Pre-Theology at the St. Francis Center at the University of San Diego.

Manuel Del Rio Holy Spirit, San Diego Birthday July 28th My name is Manuel del Rio and I was born in San Diego, California, on July 28 th I spent my childhood in the College Grove area where I attended Mass and elementary school at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. I graduated from Crawford High School in I was granted the title “Eagle Scout” by 18, and two years after high school I joined the U.S. Marine Corps as an aircraft firefighter. After being honorably discharged I earned an Associates of Science degree in Fire Science in December 2007 from Southwestern Community College and spent four years as an Emergency Medical Technician for the County of San Diego. Along the way my heart and mind had a great conversion and I decided to give my life to God through the ministry of the Catholic priesthood. I am a pre-seminarian at St. Francis Center enrolled at the University of San Diego in order to pursue that calling and achieve a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. By the grace of God, with lots of prayers I hope to transfer to a graduate school of theology and be ordained a priest.