By Walter Sánchez Silva
ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 23, 2024 / 08:00 am
Juan Manuel Gutiérrez, a Mexican priest serving in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, is now forever linked to the young Italian Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Blessed Frassati, who died at the age of 24, will be declared a saint during the 2025 Jubilee due to the miracle experienced by the 38-year-old priest through his intercession.
On Nov. 25, Pope Francis approved the decree of the miracle Gutiérrez received through the intercession of Frassati.
‘I declared myself an atheist’
“My Mexican family was Catholic, my mother was a very Catholic woman; she belonged to the group of women at the church devoted to Our Lady of Guadalupe … I received my sacraments as a child, my first Communion, baptism, confirmation, but at the age of 14 or so I began to separate myself from the Church to the point that I stopped attending Mass, I stopped praying,” the priest recounted in an interview with EWTN Noticias, the Spanish-language evening news program of EWTN News.
“I even began to believe that God didn’t exist, that he was a human invention that, as some philosophers say, was like a drug for the masses to control them. And I distanced myself from the Church. For many years I didn’t go to Mass and I declared myself an atheist, that I did not believe in God,” he continued.
His parents separated when he was just 2 years old. His mother stayed in Texcoco, northeast of Mexico City, and his father moved to Omaha, Nebraska.
At the young age of 19, Juan Gutierrez made a life-changing decision to join his father, which ultimately led him back to the Church. He was reluctant at first, but by a stroke of divine intervention, he found himself at a retreat that kickstarted his journey back to faith.
Seeking to solidify his beliefs, Gutierrez delved into studying the history of the Church and the life of Jesus. Through his research, he stumbled upon a wealth of historical evidence, both religious and secular, that supported the existence of Jesus. This newfound knowledge shattered his previous doubts and objections, leading him to embrace Catholicism.
Embarking on the Path to Priesthood
In 2013, at the age of 26, Gutierrez began his priestly formation at the Juan Diego House of Formation in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. After completing his studies, he continued his journey at St. John’s Seminary alongside his fellow classmates. His dedication and commitment paid off when he was ordained as a priest in June 2022.
The Journey of Priesthood: A Test of Faith and Miracles
Embarking on the path to priesthood is a journey filled with twists and turns, challenges, and moments of divine intervention. For Father Gutiérrez, the calling to priesthood was not something he had initially planned for himself. In a recent interview with EWTN News, he shared his story of how he came to accept God’s will for his life.
Despite having other plans, Father Gutiérrez found himself being nudged towards the priesthood by the providence of God. It was through the encouragement of priests who knew him and members of his parish that he began to consider the possibility of becoming a priest.
After much internal struggle and resistance, Father Gutiérrez finally surrendered to the calling and decided to enter the seminary. As he recounts, it was a moment of surrender and acceptance, akin to the prophet Jeremiah’s words, “Lord, you have seduced me.”
The Heat, the Holy Spirit, and the Miracle by Pier Giorgio Frassati
In a moment of divine intervention, Father Gutiérrez experienced a miraculous healing that solidified his faith in his calling. In October 2017, while playing basketball, he tore his Achilles tendon, leading to a confirmed diagnosis on All Saints’ Day.
Determined to seek help through prayer, Father Gutiérrez turned to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati for intercession. As he began a novena for healing, he found himself in a moment of intense prayer in the seminary chapel.
During this prayer, Father Gutiérrez felt a sudden sensation of heat in his injured heel, which he initially mistook for a fire hazard. However, this sensation was a sign of divine healing, a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Through his journey of faith, Father Gutiérrez’s story serves as a testament to the power of prayer, divine intervention, and the unwavering call to priesthood. His experiences highlight the miraculous ways in which God works in mysterious ways to guide and protect those who answer His call.
