Peace! My name is Fr. Leonel Sepulveda and I am very excited to meet and get immersed in the community of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish.
I was born and raised in the state of Jalisco in Mexico, my parents being Gabriel and Ana Sepulveda. My early education took place at the local parochial school, where I learned and fell in love with our Catholic faith.
As a kid, multiple subjects and topics seemed interesting to me, but, especially after making my First Communion, the priesthood began to represent something quite special for me.
I loved what parish priests did at the altar, at school, and elsewhere, as they ministered to people in all sorts of situations. It was thus that my vocation to be a priest began to grow in my heart.
When I was 16 years old, my entire family and I moved to the Chicago area permanently to begin a new life. Being only a sophomore in high school, I dedicated all my time to learning English and studying all the regular subjects in order to graduate, knowing, all the while, that I still wanted to enter seminary and study for the priesthood.
Upon graduation, I applied to and entered St. Joseph College Seminary at Loyola University where I began formation and philosophy studies. Four years later, I entered Mundelein Seminary.
I was ordained a transitional deacon in August of 2020 and a priest in May of 2021. I served at Our Lady of Mercy Parish my first year as a priest.
I hope I can get to know this community right away, as I minister to you!
God Bless!