Page 23 - tmt-december-2020

AN INTERVIEW

with Rev. Fr. Nelson S. Osorio, OSJ

Transcribed by Bro. Post. Mario D. Esguerra; Translated by Bro. Post. Emerson H. Patulot

EV. FR. NELSON O. OSORIO, OSJ hails from San Juan, Batangas. He was ordained priest of the Oblates
of St. Joseph on September 8, 1999. Fr. Nelson, as he is fondly called, has been a healing priest of the
RCongregation for over two decades now. His healing ministry, through the intercession of Sts. Joseph
and Joseph Marello, has touched and changed the lives of many people from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
He is currently the parish priest of L’Annunziata Parish in Victoria Homes, Brgy. Tunasan, Muntinlupa City.

It is your first time as a parish priest. How do you find the parish ministry? How is it different from
formation and healing ministries?
Yes, this is my first time being a parish priest, and this is very different from the two ministries I love the most:
formation and healing. During our conversation last November 18, 2018 at San Luis Parish in Cauayan, Fr.
Provincial and Fr. Jorge said that I must prepare myself for my new assignment because it would be different.
With this, I conditioned myself for this big change even though deep in my heart, my first love is the healing
ministry. Maybe, other people might think that the healing ministry has become my comfort zone, but I must
say that it is just my first love and as the saying goes, “first love never dies.” To be honest, when I was still an
aspirant, I never dreamt of becoming a parish priest because I wanted the ministry of formation more.

These three ministries are very different from each other especially if I will relate them with my own experience.
The healing ministry seems so very tiring not just for me but also for the people who see me doing this.
However, since I really love what I am doing, I have never been tired. Even after three healings, two Holy
Masses and more healing sessions, I felt like I did not even use my energy because I really love what I do,
and doing the things I love, no matter how difficult it is, becomes very easy. In the formation on the other
hand, my prayer life is secured, thanks to the schedules that the formation demands. I am not saying that the
schedules determine someone in doing what one needs to do but, the virtue of obedience is something that
a priest must really have. In addition, I also love travelling and in the seminary, when the seminarians are in
vacation, I can have a vacation too. Lastly, as a parish priest, I cannot do the things aforementioned because
of the very busy schedule. And in my case, since this is my first time, I am still nervous, but I am trying my very
best to be a good one, and I can say that I am starting to enjoy what I do. I think, that is just how life goes.