This article was originally published on June 13th, 2020.

Ten months ago, I had the honour of interviewing Dan Ramos for the October 2019 issue of the Bene Dictus. You’ll remember that Dan
was a seminarian coming to Saint Benedict Parish for his internship. Approximately halfway through their time in Seminary, students pause from their studies and spend a year serving in a parish. Saint Benedict Parish was Dan’s first choice parish to intern for, and he was eager to come. Now that Dan’s internship is complete at the end of June, I connected with him once again to reflect on his time at the parish.

Do you have a favorite moment from Saint Benedict that stands out?
DAN: One that I absolutely loved was the parish mission. On the third night of the mission, parishioners were randomly paired up with prayer partners and encouraged to try an exercise in hearing God’s voice in the form of a prophetic word. The words my partner shared were spot on. When other parishioners were asked how many of them were responsive to what their partner had shared, more than half of the group raised their hands. Right in front of our eyes, in a concrete way, God was speaking. To see in the people’s faces how real it was, how their faith was being built up right in front of me was incredible.

What have you learned during your time at Saint Benedict?
What I’m taking away is that everything we do is all about conversion, all about people coming to know Jesus. Being in ministry, immersed in the culture of Saint Benedict, you get to see firsthand people coming to Jesus. I wish all parishes were “on fire” like Saint Benedict Parish, and now I have a true vision of what all parishes are supposed to be like.

In seminary, you live in community with other seminary students. What was it like to live with four priests? 
In Detroit, where the seminary is, there are about 15-25 men living together as a community. This year was a really joyful, life-giving time. I was blessed that all five of us got along so well and enjoyed each other’s company, it took no effort to live together. We all love being around each other, hanging out, and praying together. It was such a healthy place to be and it felt like I was a member from the get-go.

Now that the internship is complete, what does the next chapter look like for you?
Coming into this internship, I knew my time at the parish would be ending in June. The usual next step is that I would return to the seminary in the Fall to complete two more years of theology studies before ordination to the priesthood. However, being a seminarian is an ongoing discernment. And at this time, I’ve decided that, when my internship concludes, I will be stepping away from seminary formation and will be taking my vocational discernment in a different direction. I sense that this is the next step that God is asking me to take, and I know that nothing will satisfy me more than doing God’s will. I am very peaceful about this decision, but there is a natural difficulty in transitioning to a new path. I ask that you pray for me, that I will continue to have a heart that is surrendered and engaged with what the Lord is doing, that I continue to trust in His process. I will keep praying for you all, for the reach of the parish to extend and bring more people to Jesus.

Do you have a message you would like to share with the Saint Benedict parishioners?
I want to give a huge thank you to the parish community! It makes me sad to say goodbye for the foreseeable future, but I’m so grateful to this parish. This has been such a heartwarming and a consoling experience. Right away I never saw myself as being a visiting seminarian, I immediately felt that I was a part of this parish. You are my family. I see you that way and thank you for seeing me that way. To be able to say that I am family to the famous Saint Benedict Parish is something I’m going to brag about for the rest of my life.

Do you still think that West Coast = best coast?
I admit that I still love the West Coast, but I have such a heart for the East Coast. This is my second home. The place is beautiful, but really, it’s the people that are amazing! In a heartbeat I would live here if God called me to.