Four seminarians of the diocese will be ordained to the priesthood in October and November, having concluded several years of reflection, study and pastoral experiences.

Bishop William K. Weigand will ordain Mervin Concepcion, Joel Genabia and Cormac Lacre on Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. in Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Carmichael. On Oct. 24, Auxiliary Bishop Richard J. Garcia will ordain Enrique Alvarez in Morelia, Mexico.

A native of Negros Occidental in the Philippines, Concepcion, 38, says his vocation to the priesthood “is a response to how I can share the love and compassion of the Lord with the people I will meet in my ministry.”

The challenge, he says, is just like Jesus — “to reach out to the outcast, the poor, and the defenseless.” He will “not shy away from what God calls me to be,” and hopes to “capture the symbol of who I am and who I want to be.”

Concepcion received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Christ the King Seminary in Manila and a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Negros Occidental.

In the Philippines he worked as a bank clerk and at St. Mary’s College in Bulacan, before studying with the Montfort Fathers for nine years, attending the Maryhill School of Theology in Manila.

In August 2000, he decided to become a priest for the Diocese of Sacramento, first as a student at UC Davis and then studying at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park.

Conception, who is currently serving his pastoral internship at Sacred Heart Parish in Red Bluff, said he enjoys working with youth and with Bible and faith-sharing groups. In his free time he enjoys basketball, gardening and cooking.

Genabia, 32, says he is called to the priesthood by Jesus to continue “to preach, teach and live out the message of God’s kingdom.”

He anticipates many challenges in his ministry, including serving in a multicultural church with sensitivity and openness toward all cultures, and in an age where religion and popular culture and often at odds over moral and ethical issues.

“Preaching and teaching the message of the Gospel to be effective and understandable to all is a challenge because some Catholics don’t want to listen to and live the truth of the Gospel,” he said. “Sometimes as part of our human nature we would like religion to conform or adjust to our own lifestyle and culture, instead of changing and patterning our lives, behaviors and values according to the mandate of Christ.”

A native of Bohol in the Philippines, Genabia received a bachelor’s degree from Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Bohol and then attended San Carlos Major Seminary for three years, with an additional spiritual and pastoral formation year.

He came to study for the Diocese of Sacramento in September 2000, attending English classes at UC Davis before beginning studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park. He is currently serving his pastoral internship year at St. Peter Parish in Dixon.

Genabia enjoys various sports in his free time, being in the outdoors and reading.

He said he is not hoping to accomplish extraordinary things as a priest, but “I will try my best to do ordinary things in my ministry in an extraordinary way.”

“To be a priest in his moment in our church is more challenging, precious and meaningful to me,” he said. “To be a priest is not a joke. It needs mature and prayerful discernment. To be a priest you need total commitment, love, humility, prayer and trust in God in order to survive and be an effective minister.”

Lacre, 30, says he approaches his ordination day after 12 years of formation for the priesthood. “I am at home with this kind of life and do believe I can show my greatest tribute, love and service to God and to my fellow men and women” through the priesthood, he told The Herald.

He views celibacy as one of the challenges of priesthood in today’s culture but also as a gift from God.

“I am willing to continue living in it (celibacy) because I do believe through it I can live freely, wholeheartedly and honestly in the priestly ministry,” he said. “I see celibacy as possible with the appropriate support from my fellow priests, spiritual directors, seminarians and some lay people....It is a kind of life committed in Christian simplicity.”

Lacre said giving good homilies will be important in his ministry. He is also interested in promoting liturgical involvement, pastoral leadership, religious education and faith formation and vocations.

He is a native of Bohol in the Philippines and received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Bohol.

He attended San Carlos Major Seminary in Cebu City before coming to study for the Diocese of Sacramento in September 2000, attending English classes at UC Davis before beginning studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park. He is currently serving his pastoral internship year at All Hallows Parish/St. Peter Parish in Sacramento.

In his free time, Lacre enjoys playing basketball and tennis, the outdoors, travel, concerts and drama.

He said a priest “in this age and time hopes to be not only a mere priest, but a holy, compassionate, intelligent, faithful and loving fellow.”

Alvarez, 35, a native of Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, attended various community colleges in the Central Valley before enrolling at Mount Angel Seminary in the fall of 1996. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Mount Angel in 1998 and continued his theological studies there.

He holds vocational certificates in computer repair, electronics and communications and has worked at a wood products manufacturing company, as a janitor and as a crew member at McDonald’s.

He served his pastoral internship year at Holy Family Parish in Weed and is currently serving as a transitional deacon at St. Joseph Parish in Sacramento.

His hobbies include sports, reading, and watching dramatic, historical and religious movies.

Alvarez told The Herald that priesthood shows that “God continues to call us and I am a real witness of that call.”

The greatest challenge he will face in his ministry is “to open up the hearts and ears of people to the Word of God,” he said. “It’s a challenge because we are living in a materialistic and individualistic world, and sometimes people forget the living Word of God.”

He hopes to evangelize people in his ministry and to be of great service to God and his people.

“To be a priest means to be Christlike,” Alvarez said. “People really want to see in the priest another Christ who can hear and heal them. The priest continues to be the main herald of the Gospel, another image of Christ acting in our world today.”

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