Meet Our SEminarians

Meet our Seminarians > Tony Vallecillo

 

Tony Vallecillo

Tony Vallecillo

Theology I

 

Home Parish:

Holy Name of Jesus

San Francisco

 

 

 

Personal Background

What town (and state if not CA) did you grow up in:

San Francisco

 

Do you have any brothers and sisters:

I have three brothers.

 

What is your favorite book:

"Washington Square" by Henry James

 

What is your favorite movie:

"The Sweet Smell of Success" a 1957 film starring Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster

 

What is your favorite band:

The Beatles.

 

What is your favorite sports team:

San Francisco 49ers.

 

 

Educational Background

What high school did you attend:

Lowell High School in San Francisco

 

What year did you graduate from high school:

1979

 

What sports did you play:

I played JV football.

 

What co-curricular activities were involved in:

I was not involved in co-curricular activities.

 

What college did you go to:

I went to City College of San Francisco for 2 years (1980-82) where I studied filmmaking. I attended Mount Angel College Seminary from 2005-09.

 

What year did you graduate from college:

May 2009.

 

What did you major in:

Philosophy and literature.

 

Did you play any sports in college:

No.

 

 

Religious Background

How do you most like to pray:

By participating daily in the greatest prayer there is in the entire universe: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!!!

 

How did you know God was calling you to the priesthood?

A friend of mine who is a mystic (in the sense of having a very close relationship with God) had a vision of me as priest consecrating at the altar while we were both attending daily Mass in July 2003. When she told me of the vision I knew God was calling me to the priesthood.

 

Were you ever an altarboy:

I attended public schools growing up and was never an altar boy.

 

Who did you talk to about your calling:

I talked to my spiritual director, close friends, and a former work supervisor whom I very much respected.

 

What was your parents reaction:

My parents reaction was positive and supportive.

 

What was your friends reaction:

Uniformly my friends thought it was the perfect thing for me.

 

Who was the priest(s) that influenced your vocation:

Two priests from my home parish (St. Dominic's in San Francisco) provided positive role models for me. They were both Young Adult chaplains when I belonged to that group. They are Father John Paul Forte, O.P. and Father Steve Maekawa, O.P.

 

How familiar were you with seminary before applying:

I was not familiar at all with seminary before I applied. I had to learn about seminary structure, formation, and life as I went along in actual seminary.

 

What do you like about the seminary the most:

I like the constant suprises seminary provides in terms of extremely challenging field education/pastoral ministry that stretch me considerably in my spiritual and personal life. These field education experiences includes co-teaching 2nd grade First Communion classes, co-teaching middle school religion ed, being part of an RCIA team teaching catechumens interested in entering the Church, and attending a Rachel's Vineyard's post-abortion healing workshop for men and women where I witnessed phenomenal healing occuring over the course of a weekend.

 

Who is your favorite saint:

"The Little Flower": St. Therese of Lisieux

 

 

My Story:

I got to seminary because a mystic friend of mine had a vision of me as a priest during daily Mass in July 2003. When she told me afterward I believed God was utilizing her as a conduit to give me the message that He was calling me to the priesthood. I was extremely surprised as I had never had interest or desire for the priesthood before. However, a shattering conversion experience on March 19, 2002 completely changed my life, deepening my relationship with God, and conforming my behavior to one of a serious Christian. This conversion experience led to a renewal of my prayer life including attending daily Mass, going to confession regularly, reading Scripture seriously, reading theology books and praying the Rosary daily. It was apparent God was calling me somewhere. And He let it be known He was calling me to the priesthood. Though the Call to the priesthood was a surprise I have found the priesthood seminary formation to be the most fulfilling thing in my life. It is because I am doing God's Will.