Real Lives >> Fr. Joseph Espaillat
“Truth be told I became a priest because when I was living with the priests in high school at Cathedral Prep, I got to see the human side of the priesthood. A man who ate ice cream, would go to the movies and play basketball. Yet, he had an intense spiritual relationship with God.”
| Name: | Fr. Joseph Espaillat | |
| Age: | 32 | |
| Hometown: | New York, NY | |
| Ordained: | May 17, 2003 | |
| Parish: | St. Peter's, Yonkers – Pastor | |
| What do you love about being a priest?: | I love ministering the sacraments: celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, hearing Confessions and proclaiming the Word of God. I love working with youth and helping them find Christ. | |
| Interests: | I like playing sports like basketball. I enjoy reading, writing poetry and rapping. I love music of all types, except Country – it shouldn’t be in the air waves! I lead a music ministry with Father Dan O’Reilly called Messengers of Christ (www.messengersofChrist.net) | |
| Favorite Movies: | The Lord of the Rings, In the Name of the Father (with Daniel Day-Lewis), A Man for All Seasons | |
| Favorite Books: | The Bible, The Practice of the Presence of God, The Confessions of St. Augustine | |
| Favorite Quote: | “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Albert Einstein "God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky “It takes a real man to be a priest. You have to be a real man if you want to become a priest.” John Cardinal O’Connor (quoted in the Fishers of Men video) |
