Seminarist Carlos Steve Rosas to Receive Diaconal Ordination at Andorra's Sant Esteve Church

The church of Sant Esteve in Andorra la Vella will host the diaconal ordination of seminarist Carlos Steve Rosas on 12 July at 6pm. The Colombian, who has served at the capital's parish for some time, forms part of a group of four men from the Diocese of Urgell due for holy orders this month.

Rosas, born and raised in Bogotá within a deeply practising Catholic family, developed an early devotion to Christ and the Church. He first pursued religious life as a Capuchin Franciscan, but after careful discernment, recognised a vocation to diocesan priesthood. He arrived in the diocese in 2019, completed studies in theology and philosophy at the seminary, and then entered pastoral ministry, now assisting families, listening to parishioners, and proclaiming the Gospel to young people and adults at the historic Sant Esteve church in the city centre. He has described the diocese as small yet vibrant, surrounded by majestic mountains and populated by welcoming people who have received him like family, allowing him to appreciate the appeal of diocesan priesthood. In his vocational testimony, Rosas stated that nothing surpasses the beauty of devoting one's life out of love for God and others.

These ordinations mark a busy July for the diocese. On 7 July, coinciding with the feast of Saint Ot, deacons Gilbert Bea and Edinson-Josep Salas will receive priestly ordination at the Cathedral of Santa Maria in La Seu d'Urgell. Bea has shared that he now understands God was preparing him for a greater mission, while Salas stressed that every baptised Christian should stay open to God's will. Rosas's ceremony follows on 12 July, with Mateo Arias Arango's diaconal ordination on 19 July at the church of Sant Miquèu in Vielha, where he echoed Benedict XVI in saying Christ takes nothing away but gives everything.

Bishop of Urgell and episcopal co-prince Josep-Lluís Serrano announced the ordinations with joy on 1 May during a family and catechetical gathering at the Santuari de Núria, the diocese's patroness shrine. He highlighted them as signs of the Church's dynamism, growth, and ongoing fruitfulness among the faithful, inviting the community to attend the events and support the men through prayer and presence.