North Idaho young men take to the mountains to explore priesthood, brotherhood and faith
Catholic young men take a spiritual hike as part of new ministry exploring priestly vocations
Main Points
By Lisa Ormond | FāVS News Reporter
North Idaho Catholic young men exploring the priesthood recently received a personal invitation from the Rev. Nelson Cintra to climb a difficult mountain, create fraternal bonds and listen deeply to the Lord’s voice.
Sixteen teenagers ages 13-18 from six different Catholic parishes responded.
Cintra was “very pleased” with the turnout for the “To the Heights” hike and Mass event on April 25. The Diocese of Boise Vocations Office sponsored the hike in partnership with Communio CDA founder and North Idaho Vocations Ambassador Jason Chavez.
“The truth is young men are waiting for the invitation. They are waiting to be seen, to be called forward,” Chavez said. “Many are not resistant; they are simply waiting for someone to step in and lead.”
Simple and spiritual
The hike included over 11 miles round trip of terrain with a 2,200-elevation gain.
“The guys thought the trek was hard, and we were definitely all challenged, pushed and sore,” Cintra added.
The young men tackled the 4,300-foot-high Mt. Coeur d’Alene mountainside by hiking the Caribou Ridge Trail, while cultivating deeper bonds of brotherhood and exploring their personal faith and identity in God’s creation.
“From the start of the ascent, without phones, without distractions, just nature and conversation,” Chavez said. “The young men began to come alive. There is something deeply natural about this environment — something that awakens what has been dormant.”
Invites for this unique vocation’s activity came personally from Cintra and Chavez in the form of direct email, personal phone calls, in-person conversations alongside general advertising in local parish bulletin announcements and posts on social media.
In February, Bishop Peter F. Christensen appointed Cintra, 40, to lead this new priestly recruitment initiative in light of the growing shortage across the state.
“In short, my job is to encourage, inspire and develop interested men to take steps to apply for the seminary and continue their walk toward priesthood,” Cintra said.
Getting outdoors in nature and fostering a fraternal community among Idaho’s teenagers open to the priesthood make up Cintra’s program pillars.
‘A living image of the Christian life’
Chavez said the experience was undeniably impactful and spiritually unifying. There were 21 total in their group on the dirt trail that Saturday including Cintra, Boise Seminarians Guillermo Gutierrez and Ryan Olenick and Chavez.
“As our boots hit the ground that day and we began the climb to the summit, you could feel something shift,” Chavez said.
The packed itinerary included the shared carrying of a 35-pound wooden cross in tandem with the strenuous hiking, group and individual silent prayer and reflection, a summit Mass celebration and a chance to connect with Catholic men and God.
“We all carried the cross and as it became heavy, it was passed from one to another: young men, seminarians and Father Cintra, all sharing in the burden,” Chavez said.
He added that the effort “became a living image of the Christian life.”
“We are a people who carry the cross not alone, but together,” he said. “And in that, there was joy and unity. There was brotherhood.”
Chavez said watching the young men build an altar for the holy sacrifice of the Mass upon reaching the summit moved him.
“Watching them collaborate, each bringing their own strengths, working in unison as a brotherhood, was a powerful witness,” he said.
A unique place, space
On May 1, Cintra launched this year-round, priest-focused vocations program, calling it the Sons of St. Joseph (SSJ) for the Diocese of Boise. There are two separate cohorts: one for “younger brothers” (ages 13-18) and a second for “older brothers” (19+).
“We are encouraging guys who are self-selecting to the priesthood by supporting their exploration journey of that desire,” said Cintra, who will soon celebrate his four-year anniversary as an ordained priest.
“This type of setting and environment works well: to get outside, do something hard, open the Bible and share how the Lord speaks to you personally. This is the microcosm of what the Sons of St. Joseph is to become,” Cintra added.
What he witnessed on April 25 “naturally evolves” from brotherhood trust and a focus on the traditional Catholic sacraments and rituals like praying the rosary, confession time, holy Mass, Lectio Divina and a 30-minute personal silent time, he said.
“There were guys opening up, probably for the first time, about their relationship with God,” Cintra said.
“It is one thing to grow up in a family that goes to Mass and prays the rosary in the evenings,” Cintra added. “But it’s another thing to take steps at 13, 14, 15 years old to pray with the Scripture and pay attention within your own heart as to what you hear God saying to you.”
A program rises
The SSJ website states it’s “a brotherhood rooted in prayer, identity, virtue, adventure, and the discovery of who you truly are: a beloved son.”
Cintra acknowledged this new pathway addresses the gap in priestly vocation — of no track or dedicated effort available to these men to go to seminary.
“It is the goal to change that by offering continuous one-on-one priest connection and engagement and a fellowship community,” Cintra said.
Dianna Decker, president of Serra Club of North Idaho, an organization that promotes and supports priesthood and religious life vocations, praised this effort.
“To have the diocese finally moving ahead and creating a network of support for these young men interested in religious life is crucial for the Idaho church to survive,” Decker said. “To have a priest actually coming to North Idaho and spending time with our youth is a huge bonus.”
Cintra shared that even if an area doesn’t have a local chapter like the one in Coeur d’Alene, young men can still participate via Zoom and join them on future adventures.
“You will be deeply embraced and supported in this brotherhood wherever you live,” he offered. “We will be hanging out and learning together.”
Keeping pace
Additional adventures, like the recent Coeur d’Alene hike and Mass, are planned. The next one takes place in Cascade, Idaho, with the Sons of St. Joseph Campout on June 5-7 (for older brothers, ages 19+) and June 7-9 (for younger brothers, ages 13-18).
“If you are open to the priesthood, to a brotherhood, and to developing your relationship with God, come and see,” Cintra encouraged.
FāVS News uses professional journalists and thoughtful commentary to explore faith, values and ethics. Support journalism like this by making a tax-deductible donation. FāVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. © FāVS News. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted only to authorized media partners or with written permission.
