LAST June 5, 2010, the bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield, ordained Rev. Jose Michael O. Lecias to the Catholic priesthood at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling.
Born in the Philippines, Fr. Lecias earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from St. Thomas of Villanova Institute in Quezon City and the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, Philippines, in 2001. He pursued studies in chemistry at the Colegio de San Agustin in Bacolod City, Philippines, in 1999; and in biology at the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City in 2000. Fr. Lecias also took up theological studies at St. Vincent School of Theology in Quezon City, in the Philippines in 2002.
In an article which appeared on the website of Serra International, a Catholic organization made up of clubs around the world, Fr. Lecia shared, “I started to think of entering the seminary when I was nine years old because at that time I started to serve at the Church as an altar boy. I have an uncle who is a priest-monsignor in the Philippines, and who serves as my inspiration to study at the seminary, but aspiring to become a priest really comes from within as I’m attracted to serving God and His people.”
“Before coming to the United States, I was working at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila, Philippines, which is managed by the Order of Preachers or the Dominicans, as part-time instructor in philosophy; and at the same time, a part-time instructor in theology and recollection facilitator and speaker at the Philippine Women’s University in Manila, Philippines. I served as an English teacher to Korean and Chinese students as well,” he said.
In 2005, Lecias was accepted as a seminarian for the diocese of Wheeling in West Virginia. He arrived in West Virginia in April 2006 and was assigned to St. Alphonsus Parish in Wheeling before he began his studies at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md..
While studying at the seminary, Lecias spent his 2007 summer assignment at the Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Charleston; had one year of pastoral service at St. Leo Parish in Inwood, from 2007 to 2008; spent time in Mexico to study Spanish and worked at the United Nations during the summer of 2008; and was assigned as a deacon at the Cathedral of St. Joseph during the summer of 2009.
Lecias earned a Master of Divinity and Ministry at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland., in 2010; a diploma in paralegal from Penn Foster School in Pennsylvania in 2008; and a diploma in professional and forensic science from Ashworth University in Georgia in 2008.
Fr. Lecias’ areas of Ministerial Training/Experience are in the fields of Parish, Elementary / High School Education, College Education, Hospital Chaplaincy, Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and Non-profit / Social Service Work.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
