My full name is Jose Julian Cardona Cardona, but everyone calls me Julian. I am 33 years old. I am from Colombia, where my parents and two of my siblings live; my other sister lives in New Jersey. I studied at the Seminary in Colombia for five years. After several years outside the Seminary I had the great opportunity to come here to the United States to continue my priestly formation for three more years at the St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana. By God’s grace, I was ordained a transitional deacon in 2013, and I was ordained a priest by Bishop Richard Stika on May 31, 2014 at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Knoxville. I hope to serve with all my soul and my abilities at this community which is dedicated to our blessed Mother Mary. I want to become an image of Christ for all.

The “most important thing” on my mind to tell you is this: I want to invite you to seek Christ and follow Him without fear, because He is the one and true happiness.

Beside the Virgin Mary, other saints who have been significant in my vocation life are St. John Vianney and St. John Paul II because they are my model of men who fully lived their priestly ministry for God’s glory and the Church’s sake.