On Friday, September 4, these five men professed their Final Vows, and become permanent members of the Congregation of Holy Cross. On Saturday, September 5, the four priest candidates, Felipe Campos Reséndez, C.S.C., Robert Lisowski, C.S.C., Geoffrey Mooney, C.S.C., and David Smith, C.S.C., were ordained as transitional deacons. Learn more about all of these men below.
Br. Pablo José Quan López, C.S.C., 28
Year in formation:5th year professed scholastic
Hometown: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Summer job/ministry placement:Sister Norma Pimentel’s Respite Center for Immigrants in McAllen, Texas
What college did you attend: University of Notre Dame
What was your major? Biological Sciences
Patron Saint: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Paul the Apostle, St. Joseph
Top movies: The Innocents (2016), Of Gods and Men, Avengers: Endgame
Top books:The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, The Power and the Glory, by Graham Greene, The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Top musicians in your playlist:Adele, Chris Stapleton, Alejandro Sanz, India Martinez, Pablo Alboran, Vanesa Martin
The place in the world you’d most like to visit: Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain
What drew you to Holy Cross? I witnessed and was inspired by the Holy Cross priests’ dedication to serving those most in need, community life, strong faith, and joy in living their vocation.
What is your favorite quote in Scripture? “… because of the tender mercy of our God by which the daybreak from on high will visit us to shine on those who sit in darkness and death’s shadow, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” Lk 1:78-79
Felipe Campos Reséndez, C.S.C., 28
Year in formation:5th year professed seminarian
Hometown: Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
Summer job/ministry placement: Parroquía Nuestra Madre Santísima de la Luz, Monterrey, Mexico
What college did you attend: University of Notre Dame
What was your major:Theology
Patron Saint: St. Augustine
Top movie:Avengers: Endgame
Top book: The Confessions
Most memorable large gathering: The election of Pope Francis
Hobbies: Languages, soccer, calligraphy, heraldry
The place in the world you would most like to visit:Pavia, Italy
Favorite way to pray: Praying with the Saints
What drew you to Holy Cross? The witness of the Holy Cross religious who I saw joyfully spend their lives in the service of those most in need and the support they gave to each other as a family.
What is your favorite quote from a Saint? “You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you; now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.” St. Augustine
Robert Lisowski, C.S.C., 28
Year in Fomation:4th year professed seminarian
Hometown: Old Forge, Pennsylvania
Summer job/ministry placement: NE India
What college did you attend? St. John’s University, Queens, NY
What was your major? Philosophy
Patron Saint:St. John Henry Newman
Top movies: A River Runs Through It, Dead Poets Society
Top books: Brideshead Revisited, The End of the Affair, Vipers’ Tangle
Most memorable prayer or liturgy you have attended: Mass at Chartres Cathedral
Hobbies: Reading, writing, swimming, traveling, and movies
The place in the world you’d most like to visit: Ireland
Favorite way to pray:Centering Prayer
What drew you to Holy Cross? I was drawn to Holy Cross by the witness of community life and our apostolate in higher education.
What is your favorite quote from a Saint? “Out of shadows and images into the Truth.” John Henry Newman
Geoffrey Mooney, C.S.C., 32
Year in Fomation:4th year professed seminarian
Hometown: New Albany, Indiana
Summer job/ministry placement: Holy Cross parish, Bugembe Community, Jinja, Uganda
What college did you attend: University of Notre Dame
What was your major? B.S. Mathematics, B.A. Theology, M.Ed.
Patron Saint: St. Thomas the Apostle
Top movies: A Beautiful Mind, The King’s Speech, Little Miss Sunshine
Top books:The Edge of Sadness, Angela’s Ashes, The Seven Storey Mountain
Top musicians in your playlist:Audrey Assad, Matt Maher, Needtobreathe
Most memorable prayer or liturgy you have attended: Vespers with Pope Benedict XVI inside St. Peter’s Basilica
Hobbies: Running, playing piano, genealogy
Favorite way to pray: Lectio Divina
What drew you to Holy Cross? The joy and enthusiasm of the priests encountered on campus at Notre Dame, in the residence halls, and at liturgy initially drew me to Holy Cross. Relationships fostered with Holy Cross through various programs in campus ministry and ACE continued to inspire me for many years even after leaving Notre Dame, eventually leading me to discover my own vocation with Holy Cross. I believe the commitment Holy Cross shows toward Catholic education is a true source of hope for the Church today.
What is your favorite quote from a Saint? “Prefer nothing whatever to Christ, and may he lead us all together to life everlasting.” (Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 72)
David Smith, C.S.C., 27
Year in formation:4th year professed seminarian
Hometown: Wantage, New Jersey
Summer job/ministry placement: Volunteer at Catholic Charities Respite Center in McAllen, TX
What college did you attend: University of Notre Dame
What was your major? History & Political Science
Patron Saint: St. Augustine & St. Monica
Top movies: Empire of the Sun, Lady Bird, Coco
Top books: Flannery O’Connor’s Short Stories,The Great Divorce, The Brothers Karamazov
Top musicians in your playlist:Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Natalia Lafourcade
Most memorable prayer or liturgy you have attended: Mass in the Santuario del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan de Lurigancho, Perú: I took part in accompanying the ND Women’s Liturgical Choir on a mission trip to our Holy Cross apostolates in Lima and after spending the day refurbishing this sanctuary in need of repair, we celebrated Mass that evening with the local community in this little tin-roof shrine that bears the same name as our beautiful Basilica on campus at Notre Dame. At that Mass I felt more deeply than ever before our interconnectedness across all lands and cultures as One Body in Christ.
Hobbies:Sports (especially soccer), fishing, hiking, music, strategy games, cooking, art
The place in the world you’d most like to visit:Australia
Favorite way to pray:Prayer and meditation on experiences
What drew you to Holy Cross? The joy and peace I saw in the Holy Cross religious I encountered during my undergraduate years at Notre Dame; they were men whose example of freely and truly embracing their vocations awoke a calling within me. When I made my visits to Moreau Seminary, the sense of welcome and family confirmed in my heart that these were men with hope to bring and I wanted to be a part of that.
What is your favorite quote from Scripture? “Rather, I have stilled my soul. Like a weaned child to its mother, weaned is my soul. Israel, hope in the Lord, now and forever.” Psalm 131: 2-3
