By Lisa ZahnerFELLSMERE — Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church has a new priest — Father Raciel Trevino — shares Mexican heritage with many of his parishoners.Trevino will be pulling double-duty between Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Sebastian Parish, where is is officially the parochial vicar. Guadalupe is the mission church of St. Sebastian, which means the Sebastian parish provides support, personnel and also takes up special collections of food and gifts for holidays and throughout the year as outreach to Fellsmere. Trevino gave his first homily at St. Sebastian on July 12, a day when he conducted a total of six masses, some in English and some in Spanish. Since Father John Morrissey is on vacation in Ireland until Aug. 7, Trevino will be filling in more than usual in Sebastian for the next few weeks.Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, according to The Florida Catholic, a publication of the Diocese of Palm Beach, the 39-year-old Trevino (pronounced tray-veen-yo) felt the calling to the priesthood at 17 when he began volunteering in his parish youth group and choir. He entered seminary and graduated in 1998 from St. John Vianney Minor Seminary with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. In 2002, he graduated from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton beach and was ordained by by Bishop Sean P. O’Malley on Feb. 22, 2003. Trevino was quoted in The Florida Catholic as saying:”People kept telling me I would make a great priest. God kept calling me and I kept fighting it. One day I had this thought that maybe I could be a priest and I tried to get rid of that thought by praying four rosaries a day. But during that time the Lord was working on me and strengthening me and one day I woke up and said, ‘OK,Lord, I give up.'”He spent one year of training, called the pastoral year, at Holy Cross Parish in Indiantown. Before being appointed by Bishop Barbarito as Parochial Vicar at St. Sebastian Parish, with special care of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission, he served at the Cathedral of St. Ignatiums Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens and at St. Thomas More Parish in Boynton Beach.During his first mass at St. Sebastian, before hundreds of parishioners curious about their new vicar, Trevino introduced himself to the large congregation and used self-deprecating humor to express his humility and endear himself to the flock.”I will try to use the very few skills I have to serve you as best I can,” he said.At the altar, Trevino displayed a deep reverence for the chalice and the religious articles used in the Eucharist. He brings a traditional flavor, a warm smile and a gentle manner to the pulpit.Already, Trevino has experienced both the joy of ministering to children during vacation Bible school in Fellsmere and the sorrow of officiating at funerals. In between, the daily ritual of mass, confession, sick call and clerical duties – all in a day’s work for the parish priest. With the current shortage of priests, especially of young and energetic ones, Trevino will most definitely be kept busy serving North Indian River County’s Catholics.
Sebastian, Fellsmere share new priest
