Chalice of love and dedication

Esai Lozano, who aspires to become a priest one day, stands alongside his parents, Rene and Sonya Lozano holding the chalice and paten his parents gave him during a Mass celebrating his 15th birthday. If he does become a priest, he will use the chalice and paten at his first Mass as an ordained priest. If he gets married, he and his wife will give them to the priest who witnesses their sacrament of marriage.

Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

Esai Lozano was just 10-years-old when a career day assignment at school helped him realize what he wanted to do when he grew up. In his heart, he knew he wanted to become a Catholic priest someday. The fourth grader did not mind being the only priest, among a sea of police officers, doctors and teachers.

In the five years since that day, his love and dedication for the Church has blossomed and he is more serious than ever about dedicating his life to serving God as a priest.

“I feel the Holy Spirit calling me to the Church,” Esai said. “Church is the place I feel most comfortable. Every time I’m not at church, I feel different. When I’m at church, I feel whole.”

A typical Sunday for Esai starts at 5:30 a.m., as he prepares for his first Mass at 7 a.m. as an altar server. He serves one Mass at each parish—Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Elizabeth and St. Joseph—in Alice every Sunday.

Sonya Guerra Lozano and Rene Lozano, Esai’s parents, recently presented him with a chalice and paten during a Mass celebrating his 15th birthday at Our Lady of Guadalupe. If he does become a priest, he will use the chalice and paten at his first Mass as an ordained priest, and if he gets married, he and his wife will give them to the priest who witnesses their sacrament of marriage.

“I was so surprised! I felt such happiness and joy,” Esai said, recalling his special birthday.

Sonya Lozano said she saw an article on social media about something similar being done for a baby being baptized in Mexico, which gave her the idea to turn it into a way to celebrate her son’s milestone birthday.

“I know girls have a quinceañera to celebrate their 15th, but nothing is really done for boys. I thought this sounded like a beautiful tradition to start; to not only commemorate their introduction to adulthood, but to encourage vocations in the priesthood,” she said. “I’ve had several other moms tell me they want to do the same for their sons, which makes me happy.”

The Lozanos have the love and support of the community, as four ladies within the church came forward to serve as madrinas, or sponsors, for Esai’s gift of the chalice and paten. They are Rose Espinoza, Jesusa Sanchez, Connie Rodriguez and Carmela Garza.

Esai Lozano, 15, talks with Father Julian Cabrera, pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Alice, about the chalice and paten gifted to him by his parents and the community. Rebecca Esparza for South Texas Catholic

“This is a great way to support Esai in whatever he decides to do with his life,” Father Julian Cabrera, pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church said. “As long as he keeps Christ at the center of his life, whether he gets married or God is calling him to be a priest, we have a community here ready to support him.”

Father Cabrera added he hopes today’s youth are open to considering a life dedicated to the Church.

“Just because you are discerning becoming a religious, doesn’t mean you will actually become a priest or a nun, but we ask our young people to at least be open to the calling,” he said.

Esai said he hopes his time as a priest is spent in a community parish much like Our Lady of Guadalupe, focusing his ministry on youth.

“The youth are the future. I want to work on finding ways to get them more involved with Church,” he said. “I’ve even started now, by inviting my friends from school to church.”

Sonya Lozano explained that although she and her husband Rene wholeheartedly support their son in his quest to become a priest, some people have asked how she can accept the fact she will not become a grandmother someday if her only child joins the priesthood.

“I never thought I was going to be a mother. I had five miscarriages and it took a lot of prayers to simply have Esai. I want what is God’s will for my son,” she said. “Esai doesn’t belong to me, but he belongs to God.”