Victor Perez is a priest with a very specific role in the St. Joseph's Church in HoustonHe has been a member of the United States. His ministry is mainly with married couples, whom he accompanies on their journey. In addition, he helps young adults to get to know Christ better so that, little by little, they can mature in their spiritual journey and accept the vocation of marriage with courage if that is God's plan for them.
This young priest works daily to help church-going couples create a close-knit community that helps them live their vocation. He believes that this community is essential so that couples do not walk alone, but have a support network to help them grow, live their faith and enjoy the beauty of their calling. To this end, it joins with groups such as Witness to Love, a movement born in the United States more than 12 years ago that promotes good marriage preparation. For the members of this project, this preparation is based on trust and accompaniment.
Convinced of the beauty of the marital vocation, Victor Perez talks to Omnes about pastoral accompaniment as an essential tool for Catholic couples, who can always find a willing helper in churches and groups such as St. Joseph's or St. John's, and about the need for pastoral accompaniment as an essential tool for Catholic couples. Witness to Love.
What does the pastoral accompaniment of married couples consist of?
-In my parish, this pastoral accompaniment focuses especially on creating a community for couples to get to know each other. Then I help them to ask themselves questions so that they can go deeper as a couple. We also have formation groups led by Catholic couples.
What I am especially dedicated to is preparing the bride and groom for marriage. I think that many couples want to get married and it is important to give them a preparation before marriage, but once they are married you have to continue with them and not forget the importance of a community that accompanies them.
What difficulties do today's young people have in getting married? What is the Church doing to help these engaged couples deal with these problems?
-It is important for young adults to have groups in the parish to attend formation, learn more about the Bible and receive the sacraments. I also think that promoting the Theology of the Body helps a lot.
Young adults are searching for truth, they are thirsty for God. If we help them put Christ at the center they can learn from the Lord, grow in their spiritual life and prepare for marriage.
Something that I have observed in my ministry is that many young people do not ask themselves whether they have to get married or not, but they are clear that they want to receive the sacrament. The problem is that they don't find people who share their values and their way of looking at life or the way they see a relationship as a couple. This is a challenge and the way to face it is to have groups in the Church where everyone can enter, where young people feel comfortable and can feel the call of the Holy Spirit to live the Gospel.
What steps does the Church as a whole need to take to better understand the reality of marriage?
-It is good that there are leaders in the Church who are married and who mentor other married couples. These married couples have to be involved in the parishes, working hand in hand with the priest because married people are also apostles.
Why is it important for couples to have pastoral accompaniment throughout their lives?
-Partly because formation is essential to live marriage better. But I insist that the accompaniment of married couples to other married couples is basic, in good times and in times of crisis.
It is not correct to think that after the sacrament married couples can remain alone. Just as after Baptism one continues to receive formation and is accompanied, after marriage couples also need to walk together with someone.
In pastoral accompaniment, I try to speak about the sacrificial love of Christ and I am available to listen to couples and be with them at important moments for the family, such as the baptism of their children.
I think that a priest can inspire a lot, because the priestly vocation is a life of sacrifice and dedication totally oriented to Christ. In this sense, we can help couples a lot to raise their eyes to Heaven and set holiness as their goal.
What training do priests need to receive to accompany married couples?
-I think that the Theology of the Body is very important, because it helps to understand the greatness of marriage. These teachings of St. John Paul II allow us to understand the beauty of sex, the communion of Persons in the Trinity of which marriage is a reflection, etc.
Priests must have a strong foundation of intellectual and spiritual formation, but they must also have the social skills to make married couples comfortable and open their hearts and homes.
