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Priesthood
kept beckoning,
says former
lawyer
In different ways,
Fr. Rodriguez was drawn
to seminary
By Maryangela Layman Román
Catholic Herald Staff
ST. FRANCIS — Looking back on the first 42 years of his life, Fr.
Rafael Rodríguez Rojas sees the possibility of a religious vocation
kept knocking.
But it wasn’t until after the Venezuelan had graduated from college,
earned his law degree, and practiced maritime law for about eight
years that Fr. Rodríguez answered the call.
“In different ways, I kept being drawn back to the seminary,” explained
Fr. Rodríguez in an interview with the Catholic Herald at Saint Francis
Seminary, a few days before his ordination last Friday at the Cathedral
of St. John the Evangelist.
Growing up the sixth of nine children of Enrique Rodríguez Coello and
Elena Rojas Salazar in Cumaná, a Venezuelan town on the banks of the
Río Manzanares where it meets the Caribbean Sea, Fr. Rodríguez’s
brothers and sisters often teased him that he was destined to be a
priest.
But after high school, Fr. Rodríguez was drawn to politics and law. He
had been involved in student government in high school and carried that
interest in politics into his college career.
After moving to the capital city of Caracas, Fr. Rodríguez studied
civil law, in part to fulfill his father’s dream for him of being a
lawyer. He was also politically active with one of Venezuela’s major
political parties at the time, the Social Christian Party.
“The group gathered to study more about our faith,” explained Fr.
Rodríguez, noting that the young students organized retreats and
gatherings to learn more about the teachings of the church which were
so integral to their political party.
Like many college students, Fr. Rodríguez admitted he had fallen away
from the Catholic faith of his youth. But the reconnection through the
Social Christian Party, helped reacquaint him with his spiritual roots.
Once he completed his law degree, Fr. Rodríguez returned to his
hometown and, along with his cousin, opened a successful law practice.
He went back to school to study maritime law and became the only
maritime lawyer in his village. Because of its location on the sea, the
practice was not only lucrative, he said, but fascinating as he dealt
with a variety of maritime issues, including vessels crossing the
Panama Canal, dolphins getting entangled in tuna nets and the dangerous
nature of the business which resulted in numerous legal claims from
crew members.
“I enjoyed it very much,” said Fr. Rodríguez of his practice, adding
that it opened international doors for him. Since the sea vessels
traveled the world’s waterways, Fr. Rodríguez also traveled extensively
as a maritime lawyer.
As much as he traveled, however, Fr. Rodríguez also tried to better the
community in which he lived. He was involved in historic preservation
efforts of Cumaná, the first city founded on South American soil, in
1521 by Gonzalo de Ocampo on the site of a Franciscan mission.
As he learned more about the origins of his hometown and the
Franciscans, he again reconnected to his spiritual roots.
In 1985, a visitor came to Venezuela who played a key role in Fr.
Rodríguez’s decision to become a priest. Pope John Paul II made the
first of his two trips to Venezuela, and Fr. Rodríguez vividly recalls
being one of about 2 million people in attendance at the main
celebration.
“It was an impressive event, the first ever visit from a pope. It
impressed me a lot to see how so many people, the whole country stopped
for this visit (everything was) on hold.”
Sometime after the papal visit, Fr. Rodríguez began teaching civil law
to philosophy students at the seminary located across the street from
his former grade school.
Again, he said, he felt he was being drawn to the seminary. While he
enjoyed practicing law, he said he found himself spending more time
with his faith. In fact, a girlfriend, the daughter of one of his
clients, warned him that he was getting too interested in church
affairs, when she would have preferred that his interest be in her.
“There was a point where I had to tell her that I was asked to consider
being a priest,” said Fr. Rodríguez, explaining that a priest at the
seminary asked him to think about a religious vocation. He said it took
him three years to finally say, ‘yes,’ he would consider the
possibility of a vocation.
Since he was 33 years old, the bishop sent him to a second career
seminary, much like Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners,
which specializes in training men for priesthood who’ve had successful
other careers.
While in the seminary, Fr. Rodríguez met Fr. Francisco Andreo, founder
of the Missionary Community of St. Paul, based in Spain, (see
accompanying sidebar) that ministers in 30 countries around the world.
The community’s U.S. headquarters is in Racine.
In 1998, Fr. Andreo invited Fr. Rodríguez to visit the Racine
community. While in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, Fr. Rodríguez met Fr.
Bob Stiefvater, vocations director for the Milwaukee Archdiocese who
invited him to consider diocesan priesthood.
After spending time with Fr. Brian Holbus at St. Therese Parish in
Kenosha, Fr. Rodríguez found that diocesan priesthood in the Milwaukee
Archdiocese was a good match for him.
“Being an independent professional who had run my own law office (I
connected) more with diocesan life” than with the community aspect of
the Missionary Community of St. Paul. Fr. Rodríguez is close to members
of the community and in fact called Fr. Stephen Forrest, a member of
the community who was ordained to priesthood along with Fr. Rodríguez
last Friday, a strong support during his seminary years. But he found
diocesan priesthood the better fit for him.
In the Milwaukee Archdiocese, thousands of miles away from his beloved
Venezuela, Fr. Rodríguez was drawn to minister to growing Hispanic
populations.
When asked about his decision to become a priest for the Milwaukee
Archdiocese, Fr. Rodríguez compared his experience to Jesus. “He said,
‘One is never a prophet in his homeland,’” but Fr. Rodríguez hopes one
day he can coordinate a sister parish relationship between a Milwaukee
archdiocesan parish and a Venezuelan parish.
For the time being, Fr. Rodríguez will focus his ministry on the
growing Latino community in the West Bend area while serving as
associate pastor at St. Frances Cabrini Parish, West Bend.
While law and priesthood seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum,
Fr. Rodríguez sees both as ways to help others.
Being of service to others also carries into Fr. Rodríguez’s social
life. He enjoys cooking for others, he said, explaining that seafood
and stews are his specialties.
“I like to cook, but I also like to present the food, to set the table
to allow people to eat together,” he said, adding he sees his hobby as
a complement to his vocation. “For me the Eucharist is a meal — it was
a meal for Jesus and his disciples, a wonderful way of bringing people
together.
“I just enjoy it very much. I like to try to bring people together
around a table,” he added.
The evening before his ordination, Fr. Rodríguez surprised his parents
by hosting a dinner in honor of their upcoming 50th wedding anniversary
for them and the 40 friends and relatives in town for the ordination.
In his free time, in addition to cooking, Fr. Rodríguez also enjoys
biking, swimming, reading novels and watching movies.
As he begins his priesthood, Fr. Rodríguez hopes to incorporate
qualities he’s admired in others. Among them, he said he hopes to be as
brave as martyred Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero and as joyful as
one of his mentors during his internship at St. Clement Parish in
Sheboygan.
“Sr. Carmelita de Anda (coordinator of Hispanic Ministry) was always so
joyful, so happy to be in ministry. I want to be as happy as she is,
always praising the Lord, finding God in everything.”
Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle and Mary, Mother of the Church facts:
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