PODCAST | Four Characteristics of a Priestly Soul
What is the vocation of a priest, and how can we as the lay faithful support them in their path of life?
In this podcast, as we celebrate the feast of St. John Vianney, Fr. Javier del Castillo explains why priests need our prayers and reflects on the four characteristics of a priestly soul according to St. Josemaria Escriva.
St. Josemaria explains: “The Church needs priests, and always will. Ask the Blessed Trinity for them each day, through Holy Mary. And pray that they may be cheerful, hard-working, effective; that they may be well trained: and that they may sacrifice themselves joyfully for their brothers, without feeling that they are victims” (The Forge, no. 910).
Rev. Javier del Castillo
Fr. Javier del Castillo is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and currently serves as President of the St. Josemaria Institute. He earned a degree in electronic engineering and moved to Rome to complete his ecclesiastical studies, where he was ordained a priest in 2005 and earned a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in 2007. He worked as a chaplain in high schools in the Washington, D.C. and Chicago areas for several years, offering spiritual accompaniment to students, parents, and teachers. From 2015 on, he served as the vicar of Opus Dei in the midwest; he was appointed regional vicar of the United States in 2022. He became vicar of the United States and Canada in 2024, following the restructuring of the regions, until his appointment as Vicar General in April 2025.
