Father Oscar Jaramillo at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Emmett. (ICR Photos)
Vero Gutierrez
Assistant Editor
Father Oscar Jaramillo commented that God has prepared him for retirement over the past 16 years, during which he has received the great gift of being at Sacred Heart Parish in Emmett.
He recalls that when he was a child, a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus stood at the entrance to his grandfather’s house, and his grandfather would always ask his family to bow down before it when they arrived.
One day, at a crucial moment in his youth, Father Jaramillo felt God’s love by looking at that statue, which had previously frightened him. He now recognizes the Sacred Heart statue as “a seed of a vocation” that God planted in his heart as a child and kept very well hidden.
“I always wanted to be a pastor of a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Coming to Emmett arrived at a very special time in my priestly life, and it fulfilled the desire to meet again the loving gaze of the eyes of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
In his retirement, Father Jaramillo will spend another important phase of his life at a parish named Sacred Heart, this one in Boise. He is very grateful to Bishop Peter Christensen and the parishioners of Sacred Heart for providing him with a place to live as a retired priest-in-residence.
“Oscar Jaramillo’s vocation has been a gift of the Holy Spirit to the Diocese of Boise for the 30 years the Diocese has served in his native Colombia,” said Bishop Sylvester W. Treinen who was present when Father Jaramillo was ordained by Bishop Tod Brown at the Boise Cathedral in 1990.
Father Jaramillo affirmed that the Idaho priests who served in his country were another “irresistible force of attraction,” causing him to leave a prominent career as a psychologist and prepare to be a priest for the Diocese of Boise.
Father Jaramillo’s vocation is some-times referred to as a late vocation because it came at a mature age (31) after he had already completed his studies and worked for a decade.
Father Jaramillo first encountered Bishop Treinen when the bishop was in Cali, Colombia, surveying mission work funded by the Diocese of Boise. He was impressed by Bishop Treinen’s great kindness, simplicity and ease in relating to people.
In an unexpected and unplanned moment, Father Jaramillo asked Idaho’s bishop, “Could I be a priest, too?
Understanding that it was an earnest question, Bishop Treinen recommended that Jaramillo “continue to assist the Father in charge of the mission as a first step.”
Father Gerald Funke oversaw the mission at that time. A friend had already introduced Jaramillo to Father Funke because the parish where Father Funke was pastor needed assistance in preparing couples to receive the sacrament of marriage. “I decided to help him, and I was very attracted to the Church,” Father Jaramillo said.
He explained that volunteering at the mission and his marriage prep ministry at San Marcos Parish were among the most important circum-stances that God used to show him the way to the priesthood.
Father Jaramillo is the eldest of seven children. During childhood and adolescence, he never considered priesthood; his parents allowed him and his siblings to choose their careers freely.
“My mother was a humble person who raised us with a lot of spiritual discipline,” said Father Jaramillo, who explained that his mother believed the Faith would teach them to make good choices. She modeled a faith life that was “well-balanced,” he said.
“That is why I grew up in the presence of a God to be respected, not a God who punishes.”
Father Jaramillo commented on other influences that led him to become a priest, saying, “I think we received our vocation from our parents. I come from a very Catholic family. My parents, my grandparents and all the people I know in my family are Catholic.”
After high school, Father Jaramillo decided to study psychology to learn about the dynamics of human behavior; he then worked as a psychologist for ten years.
He was not very close to the Church during this time as a student and a professional. But when he learned about the work the Diocese of Boise was doing in his country, he was inspired because they were building a church, a school and a health care clinic.
“I was very attracted to the way a diocese in the United States helped and cared for the needs of the poor, and that it did so with such detachment,” Father Jaramillo explained.
After volunteering at the mission with Father Funke, Father Jaramillo received a letter informing him that he had been accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Boise.
At first, the English language was difficult for him, but that problem was resolved when he began his academic formation at the bilingual seminary of St. John Vianney in Miami, Fla., studying pre-theology during the 1985–1986 school year. From 1986 to 1990, he studied theology at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon.
Father Jaramillo at Mt. Angel Seminary in 1988.
Bishop Tod David Brown ordained him to the priesthood on June 8, 1990, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Boise.
Father Jaramillo acknowledged that the first years of priesthood were very difficult but wonderful. The theological, pastoral and spiritual formation and the mentors who accompanied him were of great assistance.
Father Jaramillo mentioned two particularly significant mentors: Father Joseph Schmidt and Father Liam Davitt.
“Along with my formators in the seminary, these two priests contributed a lot to my formation and my love for the priesthood.” Father Jaramillo said. “Father Schmidt and Father Davitt inspired me to be the priest I am today. They taught me honesty, sincerity, love and respect for people. Their teachings have been the foundation of my 34 years as a priest.”
Father Jaramillo said that during these years of priestly ministry, psychology was an essential tool for teaching and working with groups.
The greatest challenge was undoubtedly the need to improve his knowledge of English. Early on, he experienced anxiety because he wanted to communicate better but could not, Father Jaramillo said.
His work at his first parish, Saint Edward the Confessor, focused on the English-speaking community. Two years later, at Holy Rosary Parish in Idaho Falls, he began working with the Hispanic community.
“One of my joys as a priest has been the gift of many parishioners who continue to enrich my spiritual life with their friendship. I have learned much in each parish community and from the priests who preceded me in each parish.”
In 2004, Father Jaramillo was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He credits his recovery to parishioners of St. Paul’s Parish in Nampa, and the care and prayer of friends.
He explained that the experience he gained during his many years as a priest further developed his pastoral skills, which now serve him well as he arrives at retirement.
Speaking of the new generations of priests, Father Jaramillo invited the newly ordained to seek to be instruments of the Holy Spirit in the Church and to grow in the mission that God has given to all of us.
“As priests, God calls us to build the Kingdom of Heaven, where we are all part of the Body of Christ. We must be mediators; we have been formed not to command, but to listen and serve the people, as Pope Francis asks.”
He affirmed that the great challenge of Christianity is to see God in each person, and as priests, we have the challenge of facilitating this image of God.
“As priests, we must be accessible because people cannot share their pain with everyone, and other people may not be ready to listen to them, as the priest is,” Father Jaramillo added.
He recommended that newly ordained priests see retired priests as valuable pastoral resources who can help them achieve a healthier intellectual and spiritual integration.
He explained that being a priest-in-residence means he will be present at the parish to help whenever the pastor needs him, such as visiting the sick when Fr. Ezenwa cannot. He clarified that he is not a parochial vicar.
Commenting further on the meaning of retirement, Father Jaramillo concluded, “My wish is to have a good Colombian coffee all morning.”
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