Priesthood Ordination of Deacon Juan Carlos Vargas

Join us online for the ordination to the priesthood of UCYM Spiritual Advisor Deacon Juan Carlos Vargas! We are very excited for Juan and all the gifts he will bring to the Church as a priest. Juan is a champion for young people and for practical and pastoral ministry. Let us pray for Juan as he continues to walk towards this important step in his life and vocation.

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​My name is Juan Carlos Vargas. I was born in Chicago, Illinois to parents from Zacatecas, Mexico. I grew up in Pilsen and my family began with nothing. My parents came to Chicago from Mexico when my mother was 5 months pregnant with me. My mother was always very involved in the church, St. Pius V., because that is what made her feel at home. My dad worked and continues to work hard to provide us with the best he can. I went to Jose Clemente Orozco public school in Pilsen, where Spanish was the primary language; I started speaking English in the third grade.
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During elementary school, my parents made sure that I was involved in everything I wanted, including folkloric dancing, violin classes and catechism at the parish. Upon graduating from elementary school, I went to Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Pilsen, and I also started working at St. Pius V Parish Youth Center. Upon graduating from high school, I decided to go to Cincinnati, Ohio to study at Xavier University. During my time at the university, I took the opportunity to travel. I always went to every social justice event, and did community service, I even had the opportunity to go to Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador.

My experience and motivation always was and continues to be serving others, so the career I decided to take was social worker. After I graduated, I went to Guyana, South America with Mercy Volunteer Corps, for one year of service. In Guyana, I taught personal growth and religion in a vocational school.  I also helped with children in an orphanage. After that year, I returned to Chicago and worked as a foster care social worker in Child Link and after work I helped out at my Parish, Immaculate Conception on 44th and California. During my four years as a social worker I learned, after many mistakes, how to put my work in the hands of God.

As I began to put my work and life in God’s hands, I realized that I had never given myself the opportunity to see how my relationship with God was. From then on, in my moments of prayer, the call to the priesthood came out. This time, instead of running away from it, I decided to run towards it and realized that my job as a social worker was only part of how much God wanted for me. I then decided to go to the house of discernment, and then to Mundelein Seminary, to see if this call was what God wanted for me. During the past five years I have been in formation taking philosophy and theology. In May of 2023 I was ordained a transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of Chicago and I am really looking forward to priesthood ordination, God willing, in May of 2024.

My life of ministry and service has been rooted in God and I am very excited about ordination and continue to accompany everyone to see where they are in relationship with God. I want to continue to encourage others to grow in love of God through their faith.