Laboure Society
“My name is Patrick Horvat. I am discerning a call to serve Christ and His Church as a Carmelite friar with the Province of St. Elias. This is my story. ”
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My name is Patrick Horvat. I am discerning a call to serve Christ and His Church as a Carmelite friar with the Province of St. Elias (Eastern United States). This is my story.
I grew up in Dumont, New Jersey. Though I attended CCD and weekly Mass, I had very little understanding of the Faith. I assumed that God was a far-off deity who possessed a simple affection for us rather than a deep, abiding love. The significance of the Eucharist and the Cross were, sadly, lost upon me.
During my freshman year of college, I was struck by how joyful and genuine the Catholic missionaries who worked in campus ministry were. I began to understand that God loves me with an infinite, indescribable magnitude. Prayer became a time I spent with the one I truly loved, and who truly loved me. In these times, when there was no noise but His voice, I truly felt God’s love, as He drew me closer to Himself.
I began to altar serve, and got to know priests of various dioceses and religious orders. As I spoke to these men who devote themselves entirely to God, I felt a warmth permeate my heart. During Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, the words rang in my mind like a bell: “Come and See.” I felt a desire for brotherhood bound in obedience, chastity and poverty — so that everything I am belongs to God.
As I follow God’s calling to religious life, I seek others to accompany me on this journey. May we meet so that I can share more? Until then, please keep me and my classmates in prayer, and feel free to reach out to me at PatrickHorvath@rescuevocations.org.
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