“When God calls you, He finds ways. God speaks to where I am. If I don’t have the forest within, I will complain. But, discovering that this is the right tree, the right assignment, I am in the heart of the encounter, I am in a life of prayer, I am living a life of authenticity.” - Fr. Adrian M. San Juan, 2011.
During Pope John Paul II’s Papal visit to Manila in January 1995 for World Youth Day, Fr. Adrian was in San Carlos Seminary pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy. The Pope shook his hands. As he looked into his eyes, he felt “God shaking his soul, experiencing awe and something divine.” The Pope gave him a white rosary, like pearls, with a papal cross and an insignia, “Totus Tuus,” [All is Yours, Oh Mary]. It became his prized possession, until he lost it while on an apostolic mission in a housing village.
That papal visit was seared in his memory. This writer felt compelled to shake Fr. Adrian’s hand, hoping to imbibe the Pope’s holiness when he touched his hand. It felt more than an ordinary handshake—a connection based on adulation to God. On May 1, 2011, Pope John Paul II got beatified, the third step towards the process of being canonized a saint.
Discovering God’s presence
I asked him how he finds God daily. He said it’s more about God finding him, as he ministers and speaks to a Hispanic congregation. While he was in the seminary, he was not aware of the importance of learning Spanish, only to find himself using it often. In San Carlos, he completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classical Philosophy.
He described the Hispanic culture with appreciation. “I discover their beliefs, their values and their interiority, a spirituality that allows them to completely trust me. It is beautiful and no wonder they grow, because they are so open. This is where God finds me, in the midst of my congregation who at times ‘feel least, lost and last,’ yet I find them continuously growing, and their growth has helped and changed me as a person and as a priest.”
He shared how he keeps his inner life open, quiet and still, to hear God’s voice. At night, he reflects upon the Gospel for the next day and imagines himself actively participating in the context of the passage. “I put myself into the scene of the Gospel,” a contemplation of the Gospel in silence.”
His father died when he was 8 years old. “I saw my mother’s deep trust in God, crying, pouring out her heart to the Lord, questioning and complaining.” Seeing her transformed from “a weeping widow to a fired-up Cursillo leader with so much energy to be of service,” he said, gave him the impetus to consider priesthood.
His mother objected at first—after all, she just lost her spouse. But, with Msgr. Eppie Castro’s intercession, who headed a laid back parish that later became active and where they worshipped, his mother reluctantly allowed him.
He continued his theological formation in San Jose Seminary, Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City. While on his third year, he got severe stomach pains which lasted beyond 24 hours. When he went for a check-up, a biopsy and a CAT scan revealed he had Stage 2 testicular cancer, similar to Lance Armstrong’s. He had to go through five days every two weeks of chemotherapy for six months. Although he felt very sick and nauseous, his body responded. Still, he worried if he would be to complete his academic formation.
Special arrangements were made for him: take-home assignments, online exams. On March 20, 2004, he was ordained as one of then Archbishop, now Cardinal Gaudencio B. Rosales’ first priests of the new Archbishop of Manila, succeeding Cardinal Jaime L. Sin. Thereafter, he was also declared cancer-free. To this day, he continues to be cancer-free and considers these miracles as God’s work, to which he is profoundly grateful!
While Fr. Adrian was assigned at the Immaculate Conception Parish as parochial vicar and at Manila Cathedral School as campus minister for five years in Tayuman, Tondo, Manila, Cardinal Rosales asked him to pursue his Master of Arts in Educational Management at Pasig Catholic College.
He launched anti-corruption programs among young students, who were apathetic at first but soon after, became young leaders. He organized educational assistance programs for poor but deserving students, benefiting 15 a year. He believes that scholarships must be provided as incentives to students with merit by securing funds from the school budget, from benefactors in Manila and from US donors.
He applied to serve in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, so he can be with his family who already settled in LA. He concludes: “My life, my priesthood, is always where God is in control. God always teaches me to trust, to be trusting even in the midst of the unknown. The unknown challenges me to know myself more and knowing who God is for me.”
He understood that it is God who plans for his life -- much bigger than even he himself could ever imagine. He now ministers to a mostly Hispanic congregation and to its school, Divine Saviour, with a student population of 109 and whose motto is: “creating disciples who transform the world.”
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