‘What Inspired Me to Answer the Call’

Fr. Fred Cristian Narvasa spoke to over 125 teenage youth and altar servers on ‘What Inspired Me to Answer the Call to Priesthood’ last November 4. Some parishioners would recall that November is always ‘Diocesan and Parish Vocation’ Month hence vocation talks such as Fr. Fred’s are typically scheduled in November. Most of the attendees were CTK scholars sponsored by the Ladies of Charity and Knights of Columbus.

Fr. Fred had only been a deacon for exactly a year when he was ordained as a priest in March 2017. He is currently Parochial Vicar of the Lady of Pentecost Parish.

His talk centered on what inspired him to enter the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary and continue to pursue his call to the priesthood despite the challenges. Fr. Fred talked about his childhood, how he and his brothers would put on blankets and pretend to say mass, using grape juice as holy wine and Fita crackers as Eucharistic hosts.

I t was h i s grandmother who encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming a priest. Without her encouragement and guidance, he would never have gone through with his priestly vocation, Fr. Fred admitted.

In the seminary, Fr. Fred admitted that homesickness was the biggest challenge. He had many classmates who cried at night and a few who couldn’t stand the separation from their families and quit. But in the end, Fr. Fred was unequivocal in proclaiming that the sacrifice was all worth it, as he Finally fulfilled his dream of becoming an agent of the Lord.

Fr. Fred Narvasa was supposed to have shared the podium with his brother Frederick Carlo who is currently a Deacon, also at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Minor Seminary but Frederick had an emergency and couldn’t make it at the last moment.