Daniel Nunes

When was the first time you thought of the priesthood?
I first thought about the priesthood when I was a freshman in High School. I imagined myself dressed up as a priest at first and later that image changed to doing what I thought the priest would do during his day. I started talking to my pastor and then the chaplain at my Catholic High School and I decided to enter College Seminary.

How did your family/friends respond to you entering the seminary?
My mother was very supportive of my entering the seminary, but my father was not. When I told him, he was angry. It took him some time to realize that this was what I thought God was calling me to do. He has now come to peace with the fact that I do want to be a priest. My friends did not understand at first either, but as time progressed they knew that I was meant to be in seminary.

When you were younger, what did you think you were going to be?
I wanted to be a police officer, firefighter, or a pilot. What I did know was that I wanted to help people.

What were major Catholic activities you participated in prior to entering the seminary?
At St. Dominic’s they had a very active youth group, which I joined. We did service projects such as food bags and gifts for children at Christmas, helped out during Mass, went on retreats and helped out with CCD.

What is your favorite Scripture passage? Why?
Isaiah, 62:1-5. I like this passage because it speaks of God’s enduring love for His children and reaffirms that God does not abandon us even when the weight of the world is on our shoulders.

What is your favorite movie?
The Star Wars Trilogy

What are some of your favorite and most important spiritual readings / books / passages?
Introduction to the Devout Life by: St. Francis deSales

Who influenced/ inspired you to priesthood? Please explain.
My pastor, Fr Joe Vivieros inspired me. When he came to St. Dominic’s parish he was a young priest in love with his vocation and that impacted me. Fr. Bob Oliveira has also inspired me, because over my pastoral year, he taught me how to be an effective priest.

What do you think a person who is trying to discern his vocation should be doing to help make his discernment easier?
I would like those who are discerning to know that being a seminarian has been a time of great self-awakening. These seven years have been the happiest of my life.

What do you consider to be one of the great challenges for a priest today?
I think the greatest challenge faced by priests today is maintaining one’s identity as a priest. The life a priest leads is one that can reduce him to a functionary, so it is important for priests and future priests to never allow this type of thinking to start.

How did you come to know Jesus Christ?
Through prayer, the Mass, meditation, the Liturgy of the Hours and confession, but I have also come to know Jesus through the witness of people I have met in parish life and seminary.

Anything else?
For those who are thinking about a vocation, do not let it be forgotten, think, pray and ask your pastors or priests you are comfortable with about a vocation. To parents and grandparents who may be wary of their children pursuing a vocation, it is a successful life that teaches a young man more about himself and where true happiness lies. Support your children in their future life, because all vocations are nourished by the family.

Dan's Previous Assignments:

Summer 2005: Institute for Priestly Formation, Omaha, Nebraska
Pastoral Year 2006-07: Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, New Bedford