Fr. Juan Antonio Romo Romo, SVD
Vocation Director
Southeast Region
romosvd@aol.com

“When I came to Divine Word College, I did so because I was sure I was called to become a missionary priest. I left law school in Mexico to come. I was pretty clear,” says Fr. Juan Antonio Romo Romo, SVD (Fr. Tony).

Born in Jalostotitlan, Jalisco, Mexico, Fr. Tony lived there until he was nineteen, and had initial contact with the SVD through a vocation director who came to his parish to speak. Later on, after he had talked to Fr. Stephan Brown, SVD, he applied and came directly to Divine Word College from Mexico. He graduated from DWC in 1998, and was ordained on July 2, 2005, in his hometown parish, Parroquia de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion.

Fr. Tony believes that his overseas training program helped him to reaffirm his vocation and gave him experience for his life as a missionary priest. “Being in another country with all the challenges such as learning a third language, a new culture, doing ministry and living with SVDs from different backgrounds was an enriching experience.”

He spent two years in Portugal – the first year in Lisbon, the capital, where he studied the language, history and culture. “In my second year, I lived in Tortosendo, a town of about 8,000 people,” he says. Fr. Tony’s ministry there included work with second-graders preparing for First Communion, and working with the CCD teachers. “I also did mission animation and vocation promotion by visiting the Catholic and public schools to speak about the missionary vocation,” he adds. “After the visits, I invited teenagers and young men and women to our SVD house for days of reflection, prayer and learning about mission.”

Fr. Tony feels that being an instrument of God’s love to people, as a Divine Word Missionary priest, is a real blessing in his life. “I do not think I could be as happy and fulfilled as I am today, in a different way of life,” he says.

“I embarked in this adventure of answering God’s call to service several years ago, and every day God blesses me in many ways.”