Jerome Robles is Vancouver’s next seminarian preparing for ordination as a transitional deacon. The ordination will take place on October 16. The B.C. Catholic caught up with him to discuss his experiences as a Seminarian, his thoughts on discernment, and he even gives some advice to young men considering a vocation to the priesthood.
The B.C. Catholic: Tell our readers a bit about yourself.
Jerome Robles: I’m 31 years old and was born and raised in Surrey. My parents are Roberto and Maria Robles, and I have a younger sister, Reizelle. I’ve been a longtime parishioner of Our Lady of Good Counsel and attended OLGC Elementary and then Holy Cross Regional Secondary.
The B.C. Catholic: What did you do right out of high school?
Jerome Robles: When I entered seminary after high school, my decision was initially met with reluctance. You see, I first thought of the priesthood when I was 5 years old. It fluctuated at times as I considered other ‘careers,’ but overall, the call remained. I was also open about it with my family, but my parents thought I’d eventually change my mind – but it didn’t! My mom, while open and supportive, suggested I try engineering (growing up, I enjoyed building things – model kits and Lego; stuff like that), and Dad, well, he preferred anything but the priesthood!
And I attribute the very idea of the priesthood to the Salesians of Don Bosco. They served at my home parish and were a positive influence on me. They’re a religious order of men whose mission is to educate young people and serve the poor. The examples of Father John Malloy [1] and particularly Father Harry Rasmussen [2] drew me to the vocation from an early age.
I remember going up after Mass as a little boy; right after Mass, I’d run to the back of the church and give Father Harry a big hug. He was, I would say, the primary reason that the priesthood crossed my mind at that time.
The B.C. Catholic: What was it specifically about Father Harry that inspired you?
Jerome Robles: When I started kindergarten, my paternal grandfather became very ill. After attending Mass on Sundays, my family would take Father Harry to the hospital so he could do the anointing of the sick. During the anointing, Father would have me assist him in some ways – things like holding the holy oils and the purple stole. Witnessing Father in those moments made a strong impression on me, and from then on, I wanted to be just like Father Harry!
And that thought never left – it’s been with me since then and it remained with me throughout my grade school and high school years.
The call continued to be nurtured in various ways. My faith life grew at home – within my family. Mom taught me my first prayers. From her, I learned to turn to God in all things.
Going to Catholic school also helped. That’s one of the benefits, I think, of a religious-run parish is that you have several priests. I’d see priests in the classroom, on the playground, in school, at Sunday Mass celebrating the liturgies. The priests were always around. There was also Father John Malloy who was also very influential for me. He taught me to altar serve and helped foster that devotion in the sacred liturgy, which continued to keep the flame alive.
The B.C. Catholic: Why did you decide to pursue the priesthood as a diocesan priest, rather than with a religious community like the Salesians?
Jerome Robles: I get that question a lot! Initially, I wanted to become a Salesian myself given my love for Saint John Bosco and his mission for young people. It was a natural path as I was most familiar with priests from this order. Ultimately, I decided to follow Jesus as a diocesan priest, to serve locally in a parish setting here in this diocese where I grew up.
The B.C. Catholic: You’ve mentioned that your ordination to the diaconate has been a long time coming. What did that mean?
Jerome Robles: This is my eleventh year of formation! After completing eight years of seminary, I went through pastoral placements. In that experience, the thought of consecrated life kept speaking to me in prayer.
Within that time frame, my mom, who was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, passed away [in 2022]. That was a very hard time for myself and my family. I was very close with my mom – I miss her a lot.
With my growing desire to explore the possibility of consecrated life and signs affirming that I venture into this new direction, I concluded formation with the diocese in 2023 to pursue further discernment. This is when I went on religious discernment retreats and vocation live-ins with religious communities, such as the Dominicans and the Salesians. During those two years off, I also worked in optometry and completed my university program in legal administration, and I genuinely enjoyed those experiences! Anyways, I thought, should I be called to a religious community, I wanted to gain new skills and be able to offer some practical skills. I believe that whatever I experienced and learned during that time, God will make use of it in ministry.
The B.C. Catholic: What did those two years teach you about discernment in general?
Jerome Robles: Well, it took me from Oakland, California to New Jersey and back to Vancouver! I went through my own desert – the wrestling with God – but ultimately, my circuitous journey taught me that everything serves a purpose, even the process of waiting.
Saint Ignatius teaches us in his rules for discernment that you should make discernment decisions during times of consolation and not desolation. That’s when you make these kinds of decisions in life, in times of peace. In times of difficulty, he encourages us not to waver, but to hold steadfast in the Lord. There will be twists and turns on the road, and that’s alright – it’s all part of discernment – what matters is how you deal with them.
In those delays and detours, I asked myself, ‘How is God speaking to me through this?’ I leaned on prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to guide me and reveal God’s plan for my life. I asked God to show me the way forward and the courage to follow it. In time, while I was attracted to teaching as a priest, I rediscovered the call to serve Jesus in parish ministry, which is at the heart of diocesan priesthood.
The B.C. Catholic: What are you most looking forward to about the diaconate?
Jerome Robles: When I received my letter to the diaconate from Archbishop Smith, I was moved by His Grace’s prayers for me ‘to be zealous in preaching God’s word, to be a devout servant of the liturgy and to minister with charity and justice’. I am looking forward to the pastoral and sacramental work that awaits me – baptisms, witnessing marriages and assisting closely at the altar and preaching. This is what lies at the heart of the diaconate: preaching and service.
The B.C. Catholic: What is your single favourite memory of your time as a seminarian?
Jerome Robles: What immediately comes to mind is community life: being with the [Benedictine] monks and living with brother seminarians – attending Mass and praying the Divine Office together, joint studies, meals, sports and recreation. Doing everything with my brothers – that’s what I really look back from seminary. I’m grateful for my time at the Seminary of Christ the King.
The B.C. Catholic: What highlights have you had from this last year, during your time serving here at Corpus Christi Parish?
Jerome Robles: Definitely journeying with those exploring or rediscovering the faith! We’ve heard on the news about the recent surge in young adults converting or returning to the Church. We’re experiencing that here too, at Corpus Christi. I’ve been privileged to journey with several of them already. For example, this past Easter, we welcomed 22 new parishioners into our community. They were baptized and received into full communion. And that’s not counting their children!
I’ve met a number of people and a few couples who’ve moved into the neighbourhood with no religious background asking how they can ‘sign-up’ to become Catholics. Father [Bruce-John] Hamilton, my pastor-mentor, rightfully points to the Holy Spirit for leading them here. Many of them are starting off with Alpha this September.
The B.C. Catholic: What has your time spent serving Catholics or parishes in the Archdiocese of Vancouver taught you about the local church?
Jerome Robles: I’ve really admired the generous spirit of the people in our parishes. Looking back at my pastoral placements, I think of those who commit themselves to serving in ministries and volunteering wherever they can. We’ve got generous people sharing their time and gifts to serve God and the community. And, of course, the pastors whom I’ve had the privilege to be mentored by in my assignments. Each of them has shown me what it means to be a priest. And still, I have a lot more to learn.
The B.C. Catholic: What advice do you have for a young man considering the seminary? What should he be thinking about before he starts? What should he be praying about?
Jerome Robles: First and foremost, it’s natural to be afraid when the thought of the priesthood enters your mind. It’s a natural experience. It’s a natural emotion. What I would encourage young men to do is to bring it to prayer – bring it to prayer.
I would tell a young man, you know, if you feel and you recognize that the Lord may be calling you to the priesthood, explore it. Don’t shove it away. Be open to it, pray about it, have a spiritual director or some spiritual mentor to guide you through that process, even before seminary. And bring everything to Jesus in prayer. Go to Eucharistic Adoration. And don’t make this journey alone. Visit the seminary and reach out to the Vocations Office – we’ve got a team who’ll walk with you every step of the way!
When I went to World Youth Day [2023] in Portugal, a religious sister gave a talk on vocational discernment. Her message struck me: “Whatever call Jesus has put into your heart, do it for Jesus and with Jesus and it will bear great fruit.” I’ve held onto this advice ever since.
[1] Father John Malloy (1922-2013) served as pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Surrey from 1990 until 2001. Befitting his Salesian charism, he was dedicated to the spiritual well being of OLGC’s youth and he was instrumental in the construction of the Don Bosco Youth Centre.
[2] Father Harry Rasmussen (1931–2018).
