A few months ago, four priests were asked to form a new vocations team for the Archdiocese of Vancouver. Their job is to support, encourage, and accompany young men as they discern their vocation.
I tried to imagine what that process would look like if any of my sons wanted to begin discernment. Would they just call the office? Or would they seek out a friend that they trusted, someone they had something in common with? Most likely, the latter.
So, in an attempt to make these priests more familiar to the people of the diocese, I interviewed them.
My first victim was Father Juan Lucca, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Vancouver and one of my favourite human beings on the planet.
My first memory of Father Juan is as a young boy, maybe 12 years old, at the seminary. I was on retreat, carrying a new baby on my hip, and for whatever reason, I simply remember seeing him amongst the other boys. Fast forward a million years, and he is a family friend, an example to my children, and an inspiration to me personally.
To start my brief interview, I had to first interrupt a theology lesson. Madalen, my 15-year-old daughter, had a tough question in her religion text, and Father was working through it with her.
Which parish did you grow up in?
Saints Peter and Paul, Vancouver
When did you first seriously consider the priesthood as a calling?
I did mention it as a child, but I truly started actively considering it when I went to the seminary for the first time for a live-in, a Come and See weekend. I was in Grade 4.
Were your parents surprised by your choice to be a priest?
I asked my mom, and she said, “ask your dad.” They were surprised, but after some thought my dad said, “If God is calling you, you have our full support.”
If you had not been a diocesan priest, which religious order would you have chosen?
The Benedictines. (Father has described to us his love of the community there, living, praying, and working together.)
Did you have a favourite priest from when you were a kid?
Yes, there was Father John Horgan, and as I grew up in the seminary there was Father Peter Nygren. When I came to Canada at nine years old, I would serve daily Mass at Father Horgan’s parish every day at 7 a.m. before school.
Favourite spiritual book?
Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis
Favourite secular book?
My favourite to read is The Lord of the Rings, but the one that has been the most formative is Till We Have Faces, by C.S. Lewis.
Favourite movie?
St. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor to the Poor. It’s in Italian but it has subtitles. It’s three hours, maybe three and a half.
Confirmation saint, or another favourite?
Saint Francesco, from Fatima, and Saint Agatha. (Father told us once of specifically choosing a female saint as a patron and example for his priesthood. My daughter jokingly refers to her as Father’s girlfriend.)
Most notable Lenten penance?
The worst one was Exodus 90; it was the hardest. I’ve done it now as a spiritual director, and you can choose which things to do. We call that the wimpy version.
In high school were you into sports, or drama, or music?
I love the outdoors and sports, especially ball hockey.
Have you done any pilgrimages?
Yes, I went to Catania, Italy, for the Saint Agatha feast. It is one of the largest religious pilgrimages in Europe. Three days of no sleep. Saint Agatha’s relics are walked through the streets on a cart for three days. I also went to Fatima with my parents.
If you had not been a priest, what could you see yourself doing?
I was obsessed with helicopters as a child, so maybe flying. As a teen I applied for a job to just clean helicopters. But I probably would work the land, on a farm. Something that helped my decision to join (Christ the King) seminary was the fact that they had animals and farmed. I love animals, cows, pigs, chickens. (Father was the only priest brave enough, so far, to bless my beehives without a bee veil. There were candles, holy water, and a special rite for the blessing.)
Favourite Scripture verse?
John 13:3: “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel.” (This choice struck me as something really beautiful. As a priest, Father recognizes that he is called to follow Christ, not only in service, but in an act that cleanses souls and reconciles man to God.)
Finally, do you have a motto for your priesthood?
Micah 6:8: “He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Our friendship with Father Juan has taught me that, regardless of his assignment as a vocation director, he already lives in a way that inspires people in their vocation. In the times we have spent together he has not only discussed theology with my daughter, but he has also trained my youngest two children as altar boys, teaching them special prayers and blessings to be said as they vest for Mass. He has read and discussed literature and movies with my eldest sons. He has prayed with us, eaten with us, laughed with us, and shown me that a deep and fiery love of truth and orthodoxy comes out of a man full of kindness, generosity, and patience.
If you are interested in discussing a vocation to the priesthood, call (604) 443-3254 ext. 429.
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