Bro. Michael Jovenal Estaris
Our Seminarian, Bro. Michael Jovenal Estaris, was born October 5, 1983 in Pangasinan, Philippines. He is the youngest of 8 children. He completed his Philosophical Formation at St. Vincent College Seminary (under the Congregation of the Mission, a.k.a. the Vincentians0, in Quezon City, Philippines. He has been undergoing his Theological Formation at St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, CA. He currently is in his Student Pastoral Year Student. Bro. Michael reports that his hobbies include playing the piano, singing, writing poems, and sketching/drawing.
Bro. Michael in his biographical sketch to our parish community reports the following:
I decided to enter the seminary and joined the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians) after High School (2000-2005). In the early part of the year 2005, after five years of seminary formation with the Vincentians, I discerned on joining another seminary. To grow more spiritually, to know more myself in a different seminary setting as I respond to God’s call were the reasons why I decided to leave the Vincentians.
During the period when I was still discerning about the seminary where I will be continuing my formation to the priesthood, I received an invitation from a friend who happens to be a seminarian studying for the Diocese of Sacramento. He gave me the information that the Vocation Director of Sacramento (Msgr. James Murphy) would be interviewing interested seminarians who wanted to join the Diocese of Sacramento. It was one month before my graduation from college when I decided to give it a try. Even though the timing was crucial, because I was still preparing the defense of my undergraduate thesis, the working of the Holy Spirit was undoubtedly present and helped me throughout the process.
In September of 2006 I arrived in the US and started my formal Theological Studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, CA. I have just finished recently my second year of Theological formation.
As a response to the Program of Priestly Formation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, St. Patrick Seminary includes Pastoral formation as a crucial and essential area of formation for every seminarian (as an equal partner with the spiritual and academic seminary formation program). The Pastoral Year program of the seminary is a ten-month long assignment from September to June, in a full-time parish based experience of pastoral ministry in a seminarian’s own diocese. This typically occurs between his second and third year theological studies (2007 Revised Pastoral Year Handbook, 1st Edition, St. Patrick’s Seminary, p.2).
It is from this context that St. Isidore Catholic Church and the Parish Community will be my home for the next 10 months, as I observe, learn, and experience a full time parish-based ministry. I am very happy to be with you.