2302 Corpus Christi Street
Laredo, Texas 78043
(956) 568-0463
We are the house of discernment for the Diocese of Laredo where young men can discover and reflect God's calling to the priesthood. Casa Guadalupe also provides a place where young men can also experience the fraternity and community of the priestly life.
At Casa Guadalupe, we live as a family where Jesus is the center of our lives. Daily prayer life includes the Liturgy of the Hours (the official prayer of the Catholic Church), the Holy Rosary and daily Mass. During Mass, where the bread and wine is transfigured into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the summit of our faith finds its source. This daily nourishment gives us the strength to persevere in our call to serve our Lord and His people.
At Casa, the candidates, in addition to spiritual development, also perform daily chores and attend college level classes at TAMIU or LCC. They volunteer their services at the diocesan and parish level, actively participate in weekend liturgies, numerous parish activities and diocesan vocational retreats. All Casa Guadalupe residents pray for their benefactors and the special intentions of those who request prayers.
What is a Vocation?
Simply put, it is a call from God to live your life as He has called you to live. It is the giving of your entire self to Him out of love for Him. For you are called to learn to love Him in the life so you can see Him, as He is, face to face in our lives to come. We daily live this in our sacrifice for Him and for our neighbor, by following His simple command, to take up our cross, to follow Him and to learn how to lay down our lives for Him and for His people.
The Priesthood
Some men are called to lay down their lives for the Church in the ordained ministry by the Sacrament of Holy Orders. These men stand in the person of Christ and serve their bride, the Church by preaching, teaching, and celebrating the Sacraments.
Permanent Diaconate
Deacons are ordained to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries of charity. They are configured to Christ who made himself the "deacon" or servant of all.
Consecrated Life
Some men and women are called to be dedicated totally to God by embracing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Some live in the world and are set apart by a special consecration, in secular institutes, as consecrated virgins, or as hermits. Others are called out of the world, to live the religious life by professing the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Married Life
Some men and women are called to give themselves to one another through the Sacrament of Matrimony. They are called to bring their spouse closer to Christ through growth in holiness, by making a total and faithful gift of themselves to each other and sharing in God's creative work through the procreation of children.
"Immediately they left their boat...and followed Him." Mathew 4,22
Applying for Seminary Admission "God created us all with purpose. Come and Discover God's loving plan for you."
