Meet
Richard
Wosman
Teacher…
Preacher…
Leader…
and Marianist.
The Marianists
change lives. Are you ready
for a change?
Learn more about Fr. Richard at
www.marianist.com/meetus
A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE on a march to promote life, chastity, and the Eucharist met
with Patalinghug asking for ideas about how to feed people in body, mind, and spirit.
After the march, they gathered over a noon-time meal that Patalinghug prepared.
Fr. Richard Wosman, S.M.
Director, Catholic School
Leadership Program
St. Mary’s University, San Antonio
dressed himself in black, wrapped
white fabric around his neck, clipped
it behind his collar, and decided to
go as a priest.
Eyeing him through her bedroom mirror, his mother was taken
by surprise but was pleased with
what she saw. He confidently assured
her that it was merely a joke, which
“God worked best
in the midst of the
frustrations. It didn’t
always make sense, but
faith is mysterious. It’s
not a math equation. It
requires trust.”
continued as he offered “blessings”
throughout the night. The act was
so convincing that a few people were
fooled, he adds with a grin.
“I was a 20-year-old punk just
being flippant,” says Patalinghug,
adding that though it was all in good
humor, something was stirring in
his soul. “I liked that people saw a
priest in me.” The Halloween costume was one more episode bringing
him closer to his leap of faith.
As Patalinghug continued healing slowly from his second knee
injury, he looked up in frustration,
threw his hands in the air, and said,
“What do you want from me? What
does all this mean?” It was as if God
responded to his very words. “I felt
God saying, ‘I want all your gifts. I
want to use them.’ It set me to tears.
God wanted me to give everything to
him.” Moved by the invitation, Patalinghug said, “Yes” and was ready to
take the next step.
“I felt like I was asking a girl out
on a date,” he says about the trepidation and nervousness he experienced
when calling the diocesan vocation
office. Upon hearing the voice on
the other end, he immediately hung
up the phone. He called again and
eventually met with the director of
76
Enter #105 at VocationMatch.com
VISION 2009
For more features go to VocationGuide.org
