Viriditas2: Soul Greening
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
“I am a missionary priest,” I tell people, and I smile — not because it is easy, but because it is grace.
I come from Venezuela, and my journey to the priesthood began when I was just 16 years old. I entered the seminary young, full of desire, but also uncertainty. Formation took time. There were years of study, prayer and even moments of stepping away from the seminary and returning again.
Like many vocations, mine was not a straight line. But God was patient with me. He called me back, and I said yes.
After my ordination, I almost immediately was sent into parish life. Since then, my priesthood has been deeply missionary. I have served in Colombia, in Chile (especially in difficult regions marked by conflict), and am now here in Kailua-Kona. Each place has shaped me, stretched me and taught me something new about God and about people.
In some missions, there was fear. There were moments of tension, even danger during crossfire. People sometimes ask me, “How did you keep your faith?” The truth is simple: My body and my soul belong to Jesus Christ. Fear is natural, but faith is a decision. Every day, I choose to serve; I choose to stay.
Here in Hawaii, the challenge is different. It is not war-torn conflict; it is in understanding and learning how to relate to many diverse cultures and languages. For example, there are Filipinos, Samoans, Koreans, Japanese, Taiwanese, Hawaiians, Americans and Hispanics (to name some peoples) who make up our parish. The diversity is beautiful, but it is also not easy for all to live faith as family — together, close and united.
Language is also difficult for me. English is still something I am learning, little by little. And yet, God is here too.
My spiritual life is very simple. I pray every day, not because it is an obligation, but because it is my life. Prayer is not only words for me. It is presence.
Many times, I go before the tabernacle and sit in silence. There, I speak to Jesus, but also, I listen. Listening is very important. In that solitude, I find something beautiful: God meets me there. Prayer becomes deeper when it is just you and him.
My ministry is also in the small things: greeting people, blessing them, walking with them. Sometimes it is as simple as saying, “God bless you.” In Spanish, we say “Dios te bendiga.” It is not just a phrase, it is a mission. To remind people that God is with them, always.
I am still learning. I am still growing. But I am happy because I live for God. And if my life can say anything to others, it is this: Even in difficulty, even in change, God is faithful.
Father Claudio Aguirre is a diocesan priest from Venezuela, 20 years ordained. He serves as the parochial vicar at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Kailua-Kona. He arrived in Hawaii a year and eight months ago.