Episode 11: Do Not Be Afraid – Pray and Do Your Part | Deacon Ernesto Alonso

Msgr. Bill Fay sits down with Deacon Ernesto Alonso, a member of the Class of 2023 and serving the Diocese of Brooklyn. Deacon Ernesto is originally from Havana, Cuba. He and Msgr. Fay discuss Ernesto’s perspective on the two cultures of the Church as found in Cuba and the United States. We learn what brought Ernesto to America and how he found his way to Brooklyn, NY. As with any new undertaking, there are challenges and blessings. When asked his advice to those who may be discerning a priestly call, he offers: “’Do not be afraid.’ Pray, and do your part.” Deacon Ernesto is a trained chef – what’s his favorite dish? Find out…and learn much more about the special fraternity at Pope St. John XXIII Seminary and the gifts it offers God’s Church for today and many tomorrows. After high school, Deacon Ernesto Alonso entered the Vincentian Fathers Seminary College where he studied philosophy. He eventually moved to Miami, earning an associate degree in culinary arts. He worked in the restaurant industry for 8 years and then moved to Astoria, NY where he worked as a personal chef and was very active in his local parish. Deacon Ernesto Alonso will be ordained to the priesthood on June 3, 2023.