Becoming a Teacher and Preacher:
James Marquez’s Story
Early on, two paths called to James Alexander Marquez. Growing up in Wilmington, Calif., near Los Angeles, he loved learning and going to school. He decided he wanted to be a teacher, to give back to his community, and share his knowledge with others.
Yet he also felt another pull. He had always attended Catholic schools and been around priests. During high school, he learned as much as he could about his Catholic faith, but he hungered for more.
“I was always drawn to the questions that would come up in religion class – who is God? What does it mean to believe? I was always mesmerized with those ideas.”
He briefly entertained the idea of going into the seminary right after high school, but his parents convinced him he needed to live a little first.
His appetite for learning was apparent in the breadth of majors he declared while a student at UCLA: music history, linguistics, economics, and finally, history. It was also where the Paulist Fathers entered his life.
“That’s where I met Fr. Peter Abdella who was instrumental in helping me see a different side of the faith and helped me grow deeper in my faith. Then Fr. Jamie Baca – I really identified with him and how he ministered to people.”
He got involved at the university’s Catholic center and became a student leader his senior year. In February 2018, he went to his first Come and See retreat with the Paulists in Washington, D.C.
“Given the Paulist emphasis on individuality, each Paulist is very different. And I had only known three or four of them. So I knew it was important to go visit them to get to know them, to learn more about who they are and what they do.”
James liked what he saw, and although the vocations director kept in touch, by June 2018 he was graduating and had landed a job as a Spanish teacher at a Catholic high school in San Pedro, Calif. Although it was daunting because he did not have actual teaching experience, it was what he had always wanted to do, and he was excited at the opportunity. Plus, he wanted to give himself some time to process and pray on the experience of the Come and See retreat while he focused on teaching.
“While I was teaching in California, I was thinking ‘I’ll teach five years, get my master’s in education, really know what it means to be a teacher, and then I’ll try out the priesthood.’”
But it become clear pretty soon that there was something missing. “I really enjoyed teaching, but I wanted to be with people in a different way, be a part of their spiritual lives and their lives in the church. I was seeking that – to serve the people of God. It wasn’t enough to work at a school, I wanted that spiritual dimension.”
He finished the school year and then took a year off to help his parents move to El Paso, Texas. During this time, even though he knew he was headed to the seminary, the challenge was in deciding which community was right for him.
By March 2020, he felt it made sense to join the Paulists. James was familiar with them and had visited them twice. He liked the brothers and saw himself living in community with them. If he was going to give the priesthood a shot, he thought, “why do I keep looking if this seems like a good option.”
He applied, was accepted, but decided to defer his enrollment to be present to family. He found a position teaching in El Paso but made it clear to the principal that it was only for a year. Preaching was where God was leading him.
In fact, another thing about the Paulists that drew him in was their style of preaching.
“In my parish growing up I didn’t have good preaching, and it was very frustrating. I felt like I wasn’t being fed. The few Paulists I knew were good preachers and they cared about it in their own way. It was relatable, interesting, and memorable.”
James moved to Washington, D.C., in 2021 to start his novitiate year.
“I think people oftentimes think that once you go in, you’re 100 percent sure. But it’s a continual thing. You have to slowly enter into it. It’s always hard to be 100 percent sure of anything.”
James is discovering that teaching or preaching doesn’t have to be a choice. As a future priest, he can do both.
But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33
During the difficult times of discernment, this passage reminds me that in the end all I had to do was focus on trusting in God and following His teachings. It brought great peace in knowing that the details would be sorted out in due time.
James Alexander Marquez, CSP
Home State: California
Home Parish: Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Wilmington, CA
Patron Saint: St. Basil the Great
Education: B.A. in History, University of California in Los Angeles
Current Location: Hecker House, Washington, D.C.
Profile by Estefania Garcia.
James Alexander Marquez, CSP
Year: 1st Theology
Home State: California
Home Parish: Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Wilmington, CA
Patron Saint: St. Basil the Great
Education: B.A. in History, University of California in Los Angeles
Current Location: Paulist House of Mission and Studies in Washington, DC
Early on, two paths called to James Alexander Marquez. Growing up in Wilmington, Calif., near Los Angeles, he loved learning and going to school. He decided he wanted to be a teacher, to give back to his community, and share his knowledge with others.
Yet he also felt another pull. He had always attended Catholic schools and been around priests. During high school, he learned as much as he could about his Catholic faith, but he hungered for more.
“I was always drawn to the questions that would come up in religion class – who is God? What does it mean to believe? I was always mesmerized with those ideas.”
He briefly entertained the idea of going into the seminary right after high school, but his parents convinced him he needed to live a little first.
His appetite for learning was apparent in the breadth of majors he declared while a student at UCLA: music history, linguistics, economics, and finally, history. It was also where the Paulist Fathers entered his life.
“That’s where I met Fr. Peter Abdella who was instrumental in helping me see a different side of the faith and helped me grow deeper in my faith. Then Fr. Jamie Baca – I really identified with him and how he ministered to people.”
He got involved at the university’s Catholic center and became a student leader his senior year. In February 2018, he went to his first Come and See retreat with the Paulists in Washington, D.C.
“Given the Paulist emphasis on individuality, each Paulist is very different. And I had only known three or four of them. So I knew it was important to go visit them to get to know them, to learn more about who they are and what they do.”
James liked what he saw, and although the vocations director kept in touch, by June 2018 he was graduating and had landed a job as a Spanish teacher at a Catholic high school in San Pedro, Calif. Although it was daunting because he did not have actual teaching experience, it was what he had always wanted to do, and he was excited at the opportunity. Plus, he wanted to give himself some time to process and pray on the experience of the Come and See retreat while he focused on teaching.
“While I was teaching in California, I was thinking ‘I’ll teach five years, get my master’s in education, really know what it means to be a teacher, and then I’ll try out the priesthood.’”
But it become clear pretty soon that there was something missing. “I really enjoyed teaching, but I wanted to be with people in a different way, be a part of their spiritual lives and their lives in the church. I was seeking that – to serve the people of God. It wasn’t enough to work at a school, I wanted that spiritual dimension.”
He finished the school year and then took a year off to help his parents move to El Paso, Texas. During this time, even though he knew he was headed to the seminary, the challenge was in deciding which community was right for him.
By March 2020, he felt it made sense to join the Paulists. James was familiar with them and had visited them twice. He liked the brothers and saw himself living in community with them. If he was going to give the priesthood a shot, he thought, “why do I keep looking if this seems like a good option.”
He applied, was accepted, but decided to defer his enrollment to deal with some family matters. He found a position teaching in El Paso but made it clear to the principal that it was only for a year. Preaching was where God was leading him.
In fact, another thing about the Paulists that drew him in was their style of preaching.
“In my parish growing up I didn’t have good preaching, and it was very frustrating. I felt like I wasn’t being fed. The few Paulists I knew were good preachers and they cared about it in their own way. It was relatable, interesting, and memorable.”
James, now 26, moved to Washington, D.C., in 2021 to start his novitiate year and is now a first-year theology student.
“I think people oftentimes think that once you go in, you’re 100 percent sure. But it’s a continual thing. You have to slowly enter into it. It’s always hard to be 100 percent sure of anything.”
James is discovering that teaching or preaching doesn’t have to be a choice. As a future priest, he can do both.