DUNWOODIE — Someday, Elvis Toribio will be active in his parish serving as priest. But today he is actively studying toward that goal. 

On this day, he was seated at his desk in a classroom at St. Joseph’s Seminary and College in Dunwoodie, trying to absorb the wealth of information from his professor, Father John Cush, in a Fundamental Theology course. 

The road to the priesthood runs through classrooms like this, where future clergymen receive their training. 

Toribio, 21, who is in his first year of a four-year program at St. Joseph’s, is preparing to be ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn. He grew up in Queens Village and is a parishioner of the Parish of Incarnation-St. Gerard Majella. 

He allowed The Tablet to tag along as he navigated his way through a day as a seminarian. It was the second day of the fall semester — Wednesday, Sept. 4 — that started off with prayers in his room and included a full load of courses. 

He enjoyed a little downtime in the afternoon and ended his day by attending a Mass of the Holy Spirit — a traditional Mass celebrated at the start of an academic year — in the chapel, celebrated by Bishop Robert Brennan, followed by a barbecue. 

The Tablet met up with Toribio in the morning as he walked into the Msgr. William Smith Room for his Fundamental Theology course. 

It’s one of several courses Toribio is taking in his first semester. In addition to theology and Canon Law, he is taking courses in moral theology, church history, and psychology. 

Toribio is still getting used to his surroundings. 

“I don’t know where everything is, but people here are really helpful,” he said. “If you stop and ask someone for directions, they always help you.” 

He listened as Father Cush told the class, “Our job is to teach you future priests the basics.” 

The 45-minute lesson included a discussion of Complementarity, the principle that holds that faith and reason — two things that might appear to be in conflict — are both essential components in understanding divine truth. 

It was a lot to take in, but Toribio was unfazed. “It makes you think, and that’s good,” he said. 

Next, it was time for Introduction to Canon Law, taught by Father William Elder in the same classroom. 

“It’s very important that you know what the laws of the church are from a practical point of view,” Father Elder told the seminarians. “The law exists to protect the rights of the people.” 

Toribio previously attended minor seminary at Douglaston while attending St. John’s University before being accepted at St. Joseph’s. He impressed his classmates when he answered Father Elder’s question: “What is the phrase written over the entrance at Douglaston?” 

The answer: Salus Animarum Suprema Lex, Latin for “The salvation of souls is the supreme law.” 

After Canon Law, Toribio went to the cafeteria for lunch — salad, turkey and bacon wraps, and vegetable bean soup. 

Toribio is breaking bread with people from all over the country. St. Joseph’s trains future priests from the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Archdiocese of New York, and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, among other dioceses. There are also international students who take courses remotely. 

Father Michael Bruno, dean of seminarians, said there are currently 52 young men discerning to be priests living on campus. 

Before heading into Advanced Language Arts, where he took a proficiency test proctored by Associate Professor AnnMarie McLaughlin, Toribio sat down to discuss his life. 

Everything is new and exciting for him, even the Roman collar he wears. ”It’s been at first a little weird, just because of the new change of clothing and all that. I’m used to wearing a regular polo shirt. But now, with the collar on, it seems kind of surreal,” he explained. 

“I’ve always thought of becoming a priest, so now that I actually get to wear this, it just makes the dream more real,” Toribio said. 

He was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. to live in 2011. “Since I was small, I always felt the Lord calling me to be a priest. I just really enjoyed being in church and always really enjoyed having everything to do with the church. So I always had that in the back of my mind,” he recalled. 

It remained in the back of his mind while he attended public schools, including Flushing High School. 

However, when he attended World Youth Day in Panama in 2019, thoughts of a priestly future came rushing back. 

“I guess that was the decisive moment,” he said. 

“I just saw the beauty of the priesthood. And I saw a lot of young priests who inspired me to take that leap of faith and just apply to the seminary,” he added. Toribio was accepted into Douglaston, and studied there while also attending St. John’s University. 

He was thrilled when he was accepted into St. Joseph’s. One of the best parts of seminarian life is getting to know his fellow students. “Just seeing them helps me to be more motivated,” he explained. “Getting to know each other helps with that coming out of ourselves and just realizing that we’re not alone in this.” 

During his downtime, Toribio likes to take long walks around the seminary grounds, read books on history, and “just hang out” with his fellow seminarians. 

With a Language Arts test under his belt, Toribio ended his day by attending the Mass of the Holy Spirit. 

Bishop Brennan enjoys coming to St. Joseph’s and spending time with seminarians. “I’m very hope-filled as I see not only the number of people stepping forward but also as I get to know them, you see the talent, the commitment, the enthusiasm that they bring,” he said. 

“We live in an age where it takes a certain courage, even a certain heroism, to stand up and say ‘yes’ to the church. These guys are well motivated, and we’re really glad,” Bishop Brennan added. 

While ordination is still a long way off, Toribio has thought about his ministry. 

Ministering to the elderly and the sick is one way he wants to serve. He recalled spending time with his late grandmother, Aurora Rosario, as her health deteriorated. 

“My being close to her was also very comforting for her in her last few years,” he explained. “So I want to lean into that and just give those people a lot of hope.”