Hector Albeiro Saldarriaga Cadavid

Birthdate: March 19th, 1980

Home Parish: St. Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo

Before you entered seminary, what were you doing: I was a Benedictine monk before beginning seminary.

Who is your favorite Saint and why: Saint Benedict, because he is a saint who, with his simple life and actions, left us as a legacy what it means to put your whole life at the service of Christ. A second reason is that in a world where internal and external noise overwhelms us, this saint teaches us that it is possible to evangelize with the silence.

What are some of your hobbies: Music is my biggest hobby. There is not a day I do not sing, play an instrument, and or listen to music.

What advice would you give to someone discerning the priesthood: The reasons to serve God as a priest are infinite, inexhaustible, but I would tell you: an architect builds houses and buildings, but a priest builds the kingdom of God; a doctor can cure the ills of the body, but a priest can help heal the soul; but the most wonderful and greatest of all is knowing that God has chosen you to be a representative of Him on Earth.

Please keep Hector in your prayers!