Meet Our Seminarians

  vocations@diocesetucson.org
 P: 520.838.2531
 F: 520.838.2593

Theology 

Abundio Colazo-Lopez St. James Parish — Coolidge, AZ 1st Theology  St. John's Seminary	Jesus Gomez St. Monica Parish — Tucson, AZ 1st Year Theology Mundelein Seminary	Luis Pablo Ochoa-Escárrega Sacred Heart Parish — Nogales, AZ 2nd Theology  St. John's Seminary
Richard Rivera St. Andrew — Sierra Vista, AZ 2nd Theology Mundelein Seminary	Robert E. Villablanca St. Elizabeth Ann Seton — Tucson, AZ 2nd Theology  St. John's Seminary	Alan Soto Hopkins Sacred Heart — Nogales, AZ 1st Year Theology Mundelein Seminary

     Undergraduate Philosophy

Charles "Carlos" Nagore Our Lady of Fatima — Tucson, AZ 3rd Year College  Mount Angel Seminary	Luis Alberto Palencia Immaculate Conception, Yuma 2nd Year College  Mount Angel Seminary
Luis Fernando Ballesteros St. Monica, Tucson 1st Year College Mount Angel Seminary	Miguel Angel Perez Mendez San Martin de Porres, Sahuarita English studies Pima Community College

Seminaries That Our Seminarians Attend:

The Diocese of Tucson has had a long standing relationship with the seminaries that our seminarians attend. It is our belief that the close bonds of fraternity among priests begin at the seminary level. As such, we try very hard to put our seminarians together during their formative years in seminary.

Our Theology (Post Graduate) level seminarians attend the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. It is located about 45 minutes north of Chicago. The beautiful campus has its own lake nestled amidst a wooded environment. The current Rector of Mundelein is the Very Reverend John Kartje.

St. John's Seminary is in Camarillo, Calif. The seminary provides graduate level theological education in preparation for ministry, primarily, for ordination candidates only, is the Master of Divinity, which follows a curriculum prescribed by the American Bishops in their Program for Priestly Formation, 4th ed.

Our Philosophy (College) level seminarians attend Mt. Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon. Located just south of Portland, it is known as the "Hilltop", where it commands a magnificent view of snow capped mountains and green fields. Run by the Benedictine Order, it has cared for the formation of the Diocese of Tucson undergraduate seminarians for many years.