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His journey to the priesthood:
He entered the seminary in Madrid, Spain, at 17, and left at 21. "It was the early 1970s. We were revolutionaries. We went to live in the poor neighborhoods of Madrid, in groups of five. ...(We) decided that we had to study theology among the people." Eventually, he left theological studies altogether. "I had a crisis of faith. I wanted to discover what it was to live life. I wanted to prove that I could be successful in business and be a normal person."
What he did before becoming a priest:
He started his own business, transporting and delivering newspapers. Before that, in order to support himself as an "in-the-world" seminarian, he worked summers as a bellboy and waiter in Geneva, Switzerland. He also briefly drove a cab. "The tourists would get mad at me because I didn't know the streets of Madrid, and they thought I was cheating them."
A knock on the door:
By age 27, he had built a successful business, owned a large house in Madrid and "lived really well." One night, while he was getting ready to throw a party, an elderly couple knocked on his door, suitcases in hand. They needed a place to stay. He tried to shut the door on them "but it wouldn't close. It was like something was stuck. I remembered the Gospel passage, 'Whatever you do to the least of my brothers...' I thought of my parents in the same situation." He relented, but warned the couple that it was only for one night. They stayed with him for two years. "I wanted to know nothing about God. When they came to my house and knocked on my door, they gave me back my vocation."
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"I had a crisis of faith. ... I wanted to prove that I could be successful in business and be a normal person." |
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Why he ultimately became a priest:
"I found out that money didn't bring me happiness. I was looking for something that would give meaning to my life. When I entered the seminary the first time, I thought I was missing something, and I didn't want to be a frustrated priest."
Being one with the people:
At his first assignment, the predominantly Cuban Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Miami, he strived to fit in. "I would invite myself to eat in (parishioners') homes," telling them that he loved "picadillo" and black beans. After the first two weeks of eating that every night, he got up on the pulpit again and said, "I would like to change the menu."
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As a young seminarian, Federico Capdepon helped Cuban refugees in Madrid. He also played guitar in a musical group he dubbed, "Los Brothers." The six seminarians would go around the countryside performing at dances for youth groups. "We only knew four songs."
Who was most surprised by his vocation:
"My father wasn't too thrilled. He wanted me to be an architect. Every time my mother thought about it, she would start to cry because she thought they were going to send me to Africa." Even after he came to Miami, "my mother thought I was converting Indians here in Florida."
Greatest joy:
Serving as a link between the earth-bound, materialistic world and the transcendent, spiritual world. "The people see in (priests) a font of joy, of hope, of spirituality, of the possibility of a different world than the one in which we live."
Most difficult aspect of being a priest:
"Not being able to resolve all the problems. We are asked to do a lot and we are not prepared for it. We are asked to be social workers, counselors, administrators, great preachers, liturgists. Sometimes you just have to say, 'I don't know' and 'I can't do it.'"
His description of the ideal priest:
"A priest has to be a spiritual man, but not pie in the sky. He has to be happy, and able to convey that joy to people. He has to be capable of laughing with people when they need to laugh and crying with people when they need to cry. Basically, he has to like people."
Priestly stereotype that should be discarded:
"The stuck-up, formal priests who have to be treated differently, who are not part of the people, who are unapproachable."
Favorite type of music:
American country music. He also collects folkloric music from different countries.
Person he most admires:
"Anyone who leaves behind their way of life to do something extraordinary for others."
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