Father Alex Valladares, Director of Vocations for the archdiocese and Campus Minister at Sacred Heart of Jesus at South Alabama, visited Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s High School Campus on Tuesday February 22nd. Father Alex had the opportunity to speak to the entire student body in their religion classes. He challenged the students to commit their lives to Jesus Christ and center their lives around the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Eucharist.
“Before you can think of your vocation, what it is God is calling you to, you must first make that decision to center your life on Jesus Christ,” he stated. Junior student Wellington Westendorf commented about Father Alex’s visit, “I learned a lot about myself and what it means to listen and follow God’s call.” Hailey Loria, a student, remarked, “Father Alex connected with us and we with him. He has a lot of passion for his faith and he kept me into what he was saying the entire time.” One of the purposes of the Catholic school is to assist students to discern their vocation.
Montgomery Catholic has been privileged to have a number of her alumni answer the call of God to the priesthood and religious life, including Fathers William Kidwell ’42 (deceased), Joseph Johnson’ 45 (deceased), Michael Labadie ’91 (deceased), Fathers Bill Folsom ’44, Justin Damien Dean ’79, William Fields ’81, Patrick Driscoll ’84, Den Irwin ’88, the recently name Vicar-General and Moderator of the Curia, Steve Martin ’87 and Sr. Dominica (Natalie Bickerton ‘00) O.P.
Pictured: Father Alex Valladares speaks to Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Theology classes in the school chapel.
