Diocesan Board Member Transitions From Law to Residency Role

Transition is the theme of Mr. Carlos Cabrera’s life these days. The Diocesan Board member is transitioning from law to ministry, will be ordained as a transitional deacon on Nov. 15 and has moved from Spanish as his first language to preaching in English in his new position as a resident at Grace, Ocala.

He looks forward to the various opportunities and experiences the residency will bring. “In the coming years, I hope to take on all the typical responsibilities of an associate rector or assistant to the rector,” he said. “Through this residency, I will have the opportunity to receive a well-rounded formation in all the areas a priest must develop to shepherd a faith community – with the blessing of doing so in a full-time position and as an integral part of the ministry team led by Rev. Frans van Santen. With God’s help, I believe that through this program I will be able to achieve, in just a few years, a kind of growth that might otherwise take decades.”

Van Santen, who also served as a resident at Grace, is excited about adding Cabrera to the team there. “My hope is that Carlos will grow in parish leadership, find his voice as a preacher and his pace as a priest,” he said. “Carlos has a lot of leadership potential. This potential combines with a strong faith and a deep sense of integrity. His cultural and professional background is a great asset to the Church, and it will be my joy to see how God will use all of it in the years to come.”

For Cabrera, recognizing God’s call on his life was not a single, sudden moment but a gradual process that unfolded over time. “It was through the witness and guidance of people whose lives reflected a deep harmony between faith and service that I began to recognize within myself the possibility of a genuine calling,” he said. “I vividly remember the Holy Spirit’s presence in me since childhood. I used to attend 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass in Santo Domingo [capital of the Dominican Republic] with my grandmother when I was about 7 years old. I remember feeling a deep sense of peace and joy, even though I couldn’t understand why.

“I perceived God’s call as an inner process of discernment that matured in the light of the witness of others,” he continued. “In particular, the Rev. Canon Luis De la Cruz, rector of St. John’s, Kissimmee, whose priestly example helped me recognize more clearly the possibility of dedicating my entire life to proclaiming the gospel. In his example, I found confirmation that the divine call becomes tangible in our lives when we place our complete trust in Christ.”

Cabrera has served as a speaker and table leader in the Hispanic Cursillo movement. As a member of St. John’s, he served as an altar server, a Vestry member, a food pantry volunteer and a Bible study teacher. He and his wife, Marian, have been married for 15 years and have two daughters, Amanda, 14, and Carla, 7. They came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic in 2020 for family reasons.

“I now see it as a step guided by reflection and openness to God’s will, understanding that even the most difficult decisions can become opportunities for inner growth, personal development and a deeper closeness to the purpose God has for each of our lives,” he explained. “When we arrived in the United States, we were welcomed by the Episcopal community at St. John’s, where we found a space of respect, openness and interfaith dialogue. I was Catholic, and my wife comes from the Baptist tradition. We not only felt truly welcomed but also were able to explore and deepen our faith in a thoughtful way – integrating our spiritual journey with new perspectives that strengthened our religious and family commitments.”

Cabrera has a master’s degree in civil procedure with 14 years of experience in labor law and social security. “At times, I feel that I am still practicing law – only now, I am defending Christ and his Church,” he said. “My wife often tells me that my preaching style resembles that of a lawyer presenting a case in court. I suppose learning happens by analogy and that the Holy Spirit reveals Himself through me, using my experiences as a trial lawyer to serve His purpose.”

Throughout his career, he has published numerous articles on social justice and human rights in La Gaceta Judicial (The Judicial Gazette), the leading legal journal in the Dominican Republic. He won the Víctor Carlo García Moreno competition on International Criminal Law and War Crimes, contributing to the global debate on justice. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Latin American Society of Scholars of International and Comparative Law, promoting legal knowledge in the region.

“I am deeply grateful for the blessing and responsibility that God has placed on my family and me in coming to Grace,” Cabrera said. “We will devote ourselves wholeheartedly to serving faithfully during this time, praying that our efforts bear fruit for His Church. ‘Que Dios me los bendiga’ (‘May God bless them’).