05/01/2026
By Dr. Ruben Barron
Almost five months after Luis Angeles and Larry Curtis were ordained as transitional deacons, they will be ordained to the priesthood on May 16th at Sacred Heart Church in Rancho Cucamonga. As they anticipate the fulfillment of their vocational calling, Angeles and Curtis are reflecting on the long spiritual journey that brought them to this point in their lives.
“I first sensed God calling me when I was involved in the Charismatic Movement. I got involved young and it was at a vocational retreat in Mexico when I began to actively discern in my high school years,” Angeles said.
For Curtis, the calling was first heard in quiet stillness.
“I first felt the sense that God was calling me to the priesthood after high school when I began doing silent adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament for one hour a week. It was like a thought that never left my head and my heart,” said Curtis.
During their long formation, each has found support in a saint who continues to inspire them.
“St. John Vianney is my favorite saint,” said Curtis. “He is a role model of what priestly holiness looks like, and I hope to emulate his zeal for souls in the unique way God desires me to love His people,” said Curtis.
Angeles shared, “My favorite saint is Saint Mother Teresa because of her love for the poor and neediest in society, and her love for Christ and towards the people.”
What kind of priests do these two young men aspire to become?
“I hope I can be a priest that brings Christ’s love and compassion to all. To be able to share the good news to others,” Angeles said.
“The Church does not just need priests, it needs saints,” Curtis said. “By God’s grace, I hope to be the saint that God created me to be.”
Looking forward to their ordination to the priesthood on May 16, they are both filled with joy and gratitude.
“I am really excited for my ordination and just excited to be back home as well,” shared Angeles, who was completing his seminary studies in San Antonio, Texas until this month.
“I am overjoyed and very excited to be ordained,” Curtis added.
What are they most looking forward to after their ordination, once they become priests?
“What I look forward to after my ordination is to serve the people of God with joy and love,” said Angeles.
Added Curtis, “I am looking forward to celebrating the sacraments and serving the people of God entrusted to me,” said Curtis.
Bishop Alberto Rojas will celebrate the Ordination Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rancho Cucamonga on May 16 at 10 am.
Dr. Rubén Barrón is a Catholic spiritual director and freelance writer based in Yorba Linda.