Julio César Tena Sorio is one of five men who was ordained permanent deacons at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 14, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud. Deacon Tena Sorio knows first hand that God works in mysterious ways, and credits his call to the diaconate as one of those mysterious works.
Current Parish: St. Andrew, Elk River
Hobbies: Sports, watching soccer and Wrestlemania
Favorite Saint: St. Paul. Reading his history, I identified with him because, as a young man, I would speak badly of people who believed in God or practiced their faith. It was more envy on my part because I always grew up with faith in God, but I just didn’t know how to live it and that bothered me a lot when I saw other people so in love with God.
During my first retreat, I felt Jesus was present with me. I learned to stop thinking that way and trust in him. As I read the Acts of the Apostles, I identified with the apostle St. Paul — God was also sending people to direct my life towards Jesus as Barnabas did with St. Paul and begin to learn more about his message. Later I will take the Gospel to other people who are like the person I was before.
I believe that God has chosen me, like St. Paul, to take on the mission of preaching the Gospel to people who have not yet had that encounter with our Lord Jesus in our diocese. I ask in my prayers for courage so that my faith does not fail and that I can give my life as St. Paul did for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. That is the reason why my son is named Paulo.
Favorite Prayer: Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel. Also I really like the meditation of the Stations of the Cross, the Liturgy of the Hours (especially the mornings, because if I do not begin the day with my prayer, I feel incomplete), and praying the holy rosary, preferably in community.
Tell us a bit about your current family life.
I’m married to Rosio Mesa. I have a daughter, Edna, who is 20 years old and will be married May 31, two weeks before our ordination. My son, Paulo Cesar, is 9 months old. Four years ago, my wife had a miscarriage and we prayed to have more family. God blessed us with a son. I have a lot of work with my son to share the faith with him. Perhaps one day, God willing, he will be a priest.
What do you do for work?
I work as a recruiter for the Minnesota Farmers Union. I help people who want to start small businesses or enroll in apprenticeship programs. I visit different communities and, thank God, I know many people from Catholic communities through my work.
What drew you to the diaconate?
God works in mysterious ways. When Edna began faith formation for her first Communion, I would accompany her to church and wait for her to finish her class. One day, the catechist, Anisabel Palma, invited me to participate in the children’s faith formation, helping them learn to pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary. I loved teaching them, and later I started the first youth group in Wilmar. It was a beautiful way to serve God.
I also served as a lector. At the time, I was living in Wilmar, attending St. Mary Church, and Father Steve didn’t speak Spanish. Some lay people helped the priest with the Gospel reading and read the homily, which Father translated into Spanish for us. When I read the Gospel and the homilies for the first time, I fell in love with the ministry of lector, especially with proclaiming the Gospel and preaching. Then some members of the community asked me if I had considered diaconal formation. At that time, I didn’t know what the ministry of the diaconate was, so I investigated further and felt God’s calling in my heart to give my life for him and his people as he did for us.
What surprised you most about studying to become a deacon?
Everything is surprising — there were so many new things for me. I remember many times praying in eucharistic adoration, asking God for answers to questions I had about why he had his gaze on me — and he always answered. In diaconate formation, I felt that Jesus, through my teachers was preparing me for this mission, just as he did with his disciples. That’s what surprised me most, and motivated me not to renounce his calling.
How have you grown in your faith?
My faith is very strong, and over time during training as I learned more about it, my faith grew. The more I get to know my king and Lord Jesus Christ, the more my faith grows. Now, every time I read and meditate on the Scriptures, I can understand why the disciples never wanted to stray from Jesus. My desire is to continue learning more about our faith and to share the beauty of our faith in the Lord with more people.
Tell us about some meaningful moments serving your parish.
When I created the first Latino youth group in Willmar, the priest said it would be a lot of work, but I wanted to do it. He told me to find another leader — I worked with Anisabel Palma to develop the program Luz de Cristo (Light of Christ) for the youth and presented it to the priest. The priest was concerned about the delicate nature of working with youth, but he accepted it and now we can see the fruits of that work. Some young people who were part of the group still attend church, and some are serving in the Church.
One day, my wife and I ran into a man and his family at Walmart. He approached me and said hello. Though I didn’t recognize him, he remembered me fondly from his days in the church youth group. It was difficult to form that group at first, but I see the fruits and continue to pray for them.
What do you look most forward to as a deacon?
I want to visit families who don’t come to church and invite them back. In our community, we have around 150 families, but only half attend Mass and participate in activities. My mission is to seek out and invite the other families.
What moments of faith stand out to you from your childhood?
As a child, my family always practiced the faith and taught me to pray the rosary and to pray to God. Like many young people, my mind changed: my youthful friends influenced me to think differently and to stay away from the Church. I returned to my faith when I entered my 30s.
I thank God for the family he gave me who always tried to teach me to believe in God and I believe that their prayers helped me to return to the Lord after my years of rebellion.
Where did you attend Mass and participate in church life when you were growing up?
I grew up in Mexico and came to the United States in 2002. My daughter was baptized and had her first Communion and confirmation in Willmar. We look forward to celebrating her wedding in Willmar.
We are currently in the process of pastoral planning for our diocese — how can lay people help clergy to create vibrant faith communities?
I firmly believe that if both parents begin to understand and practice their faith at home, it will set a great example for their children in the future.
In Isaiah 43:19, Revelation 21:5, and Isaiah 65:17, God promises to make “All Things New” — the theme of our planning process. What does this mean to you and what do you think God promises for the Church?
I believe that we are all beautiful and good creations, as the book of Genesis says. Our hope must be that God will always be present in our lives to remind us how beautiful we are in his eyes and that he will never abandon us. He will always be willing to help us through his Holy Spirit to be our most beautiful version, if we allow him.
What do you most appreciate about the Diocese of St. Cloud?
I feel blessed to be part of the Diocese of St. Cloud. When I worked in construction, scaffolding fell on me, I injured my right ankle and couldn’t walk for almost a year. I received tremendous support from my parish family. They helped me with my financial needs when I couldn’t work.
I believe we are a very blessed diocese with very good deacons, priests and our bishop. They are always attentive to the needs of God’s people in general. I thank God for them, and they are always in my prayers.
Their lives are an example to me of what a man of God should be like, so I want to serve this diocese as a way of thanking everyone and God for always being there for me and my family during the most difficult times.
Pictured above: Deacon Julio César Tena Sorio pledges obedience to the bishop during the Rite of Ordination June 14 at St. Mary’s Cathedral. (Dianne Towalski / The Central Minnesota Catholic)
