Celebrate the Perpetual Profession and Diaconate Ordination of Br. Jay-Ar

This January, our seminarian Br. Jay-Ar San Juan is preparing for his Profession of Perpetual Vows and Diaconate Ordination, with his Priestly Ordination to follow.

While every man’s journey to the priesthood is unique, Br. Jay-Ar is working his way through the Oblates of the Virgin Mary formation process, where seminarians join us in community life, spiritual direction and vigorous religious study to help them answer God’s call to service. This next step in the journey, serving God’s people as a deacon, is a wonderful accomplishment. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating Br. Jay-Ar at his Diaconate Ordination.

Brother Jay-Ar San Juan

Br. Jay-Ar hails from the city of Bandar Seri Begawan in the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. His family are members of Couples for Christ, an international Catholic lay ecclesial movement originating in the Philippines, and, as a child and young man, he was a member of their Kids for Christ and Youth for Christ ministries. In 2008, his family migrated to Vancouver, Canada, where he earned an AA from Corpus Christi College and a BA from Christ the King Seminary. When he learned about the Oblates through the VISION Vocations Network, he was attracted to their spirituality and community life. 

Br. Jay-Ar professed his first vows in August 2019. This past year, he completed his pastoral ministry at St. Peter Chanel and has returned to Our Lady of Grace Seminary at St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine to complete his studies.

Leading up to his ordination, he’s shared some thoughts and reflections with the Oblates of the Virgin Mary community and supporters.

On Ven. Bruno Lanteri:

Venerable Lanteri has been a beloved and powerful spiritual companion throughout my seminary formation. He has taught me to always begin again, to give my complete trust to God, and to believe that God always has a great plan that I need to follow. One of my favorite quotes from him is:

“God has placed me in this state of life … All the circumstances and events in my state of life … reveal the order of Providence through which the Lord has willed to work my salvation … I will try always to adapt to these with peace and joy of heart, confident that God knows better than I what is best for me.”

Ven. Bruno Lanteri

I am grateful to God for the gift of Venerable Lanteri  and his wisdom. Venerable Lanteri, pray for us!

A Message of Thanks:

“Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12b). I praise and thank our Almighty God for all His blessings, especially in inviting me to follow Him as an Oblate of the Virgin Mary. I am also so grateful to my Oblate brothers and seminarians, my family, relatives, friends, seminary formators and instructors, and benefactors who have all generously supported me to answer God’s call. It is truly a gift to be an Oblate, and I am so thankful to all who have helped me on this awesome vocation journey. May God bless each of you abundantly!

A Note of Encouragement:

Our founder, Venerable Lanteri, always said to think of God in a spirit of goodness (Wisdom 1:1). God’s plans for each of us are mysterious, but one thing that we can know for sure is that God loves us deeply and that He always desires our greatest good. The greatest thing that we can do for ourselves and for others is to always say ‘yes’ to God. Whatever His plan is for each of us, it’s worth giving Him our ‘yes’.

The vocation journey that God planned for me took me from Brunei to Canada to the United States, and there were different challenges for me to face along the way. In the end, I would not change any part of that journey because the graces that God has given me have been totally worth it and have brought me so much peace and joy. Venerable Lanteri said:

“Above all, I recommend with all my heart that you guard against discouragement, disturbance, and sadness. Seek always to keep your poor heart in peace, and encourage it, and always to serve God with holy joy.”

Ven. Bruno Lanteri

I invite you to always trust God and to give Him your ‘yes.’

How to Watch Online

All are welcome to witness the Final Vows and Diaconate Ordination of Br. Jay-Ar. The events will be live streamed from St. Clement Shrine and available on the Shrine’s website, Facebook and YouTube channel.

• Perpetual Profession: Friday, January 27 at 7 pm ET
• Diaconate Ordination: Saturday, January 28 at 11 am ET

After the events, recordings will be available on YouTube.

Make a Gift in Honor of Br. Jay-Ar

If you’d like to celebrate the Perpetual Profession and Diaconate Ordination of Br. Jay-Ar, making a gift to the Seminarian Fund supports all those answering God’s call to service through the Oblates of the Virgin Mary. The fund helps cover the cost of living, learning and service in our seminaries so that each young man can remain focused on his formation.

Celebrate With a Gift