Fr. Victor Ramirez

May Our Lady Reward You

My name is Fr. Victor Ramirez and I come from the Western side of Mexico. I am in my first year of studying Institutional Communications at Santa Croce in Rome.

My vocation began to take root when I was a child. I remember greatly admiring the two priests who served in our small town, how they helped the parishioners, and how they would celebrate the Mass with such devotion. Later as a young teen, I felt the desire to answer God’s call after seeing St. John Paul II when he came to Mexico in January 1999. His message was exactly what I needed to hear.

The Pope told the young people not to be afraid to follow Christ and that He was calling some of us to become priests. After that day I decided to give everything to God and join the seminary. My family was not supportive at first, but with time they realized how important it was to me and they let me go. My mother thought that I would surely change my mind and return home after a couple of weeks, but here I am!

I was ordained a priest in May, 2013, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. In these years of being a priest God has given me one gift after another, from constantly teaching me through the people whom I serve, to being here in Rome at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross!

At Santa Croce, I love that everyone is treated as an important person, not just a number, receiving a lot of individual attention in our education. I also love being near the Pope. Every day, when I leave the university on my bicycle and head home, I always ask St. Peter to pray for me as I approach the Vatican. I am sure that he will help me to work hard in my studies, so I will be well-prepared to serve my diocese in Mexico City when I return.