Dayan Machado was born in San Antonio de los Banos,Cuba. He grew up and attended school in communist and learned everything about communism philosophy. His family were not Catholic and never thought much about religion. He was inspired by Pope John Paul II’s visit to in 1998 when he was able to watch him on TV and listen to his speeches. He was touched by the pope’s call to freedom and the rights all human beings have to express their faith so much so that he knew that he needed to find God in his life. Dayan began to attend the church and in 1999 and was baptized in the Catholic Faith; shortly thereafter he and his family received a visa and moved to Tampa. He graduated from Jefferson High School (Tampa) in 2001, and then entered St. John Vianney College Seminary where he graduated from with a B.A. in Philosophy in May 2005. In the Church, Dayan has found home and family and has been inspired to become a priest in order to help guide others to find and know the Lord. Dayan is in Fourth Theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary where he was ordained a transitional deacon on April 25, 2009. He will be ordained to the priesthood in May 2010.
Do your family and friends think it is a good idea that you're becoming a priest? Now that my parents are Catholics they are happy seeing me studying for the priesthood. Many members of my family do not understand why I want to be a priest because they are not believers. They think I should do something else with my life.
Do you ever have any fun? What do you do in your free time? Seminary for me has been great. It is a great place to study at plus you meet and live with people from all over the world. It is a good place to learn from other cultures and a great place to even learn a second language too. In my free time I go to the beach, river or lake. I enjoy swimming and I go out fishing a lot. I also like walking in the woods or hiking. From time to time I go to the movie theaters.
If you were not a priest, what do you think you would be? I highly admire and respect those who work in the force and the police. I have always been interested in working with them, especially with the police force. Their work is important and is also a service to our communities. So, that is something that I would do if I were not a priest.
How many brothers and sisters do you have? I have an older brother, two years older than I. He is my half brother for my father was married before. We grew up together so we are very close in that sense. He does not live in the USA, he resides in Cuba.
What is your favorite TV program? When I first arrived in the my favorite show for a long time was “The Price is Right.” Today, my favorite TV show is “Monk.” It is funny to see Adrian trying to solve a case for the police while dealing with his own problems and phobias.
Who is your favorite singer or music group? Now, that’s a difficult question to answer for I listen to all sorts of music and stuff. I like current songs and classics too. I have to say though that my favorite music comes from Europe, mainly with its “Coplas, Tonadillas and Sevillanas” and from South America I like Brazilian music, especially “a Samba e Pagode.” A favorite singer would be from , Andrea Bocelli or Luciano Pavarotti. As you see I like all kinds of stuff.
Do you ever get bored while studying to be a priest? We do so many things that there is no time to get bored. Believe me, between classes and all the work they require plus the activities we do I have never felt bored. When schoolwork is finished I have the time to relax and do some of the things I like. I go to the beach or visit my relatives. Formation is a mixture of all these things. As everything in life, preparation for the priesthood is a time of training and we have to find a balance in order to cope with it.
How is a seminary different than a regular school? The seminary is different in the sense that you get to know everybody in a closer and deeper way. It is a smaller place and we are supposed to help one another in our journey toward our common goal. In the seminary you meet people from many countries. We learn from different cultures and even languages. Classrooms are also smaller which makes us feel much more comfortable too.
How often do you see your family? We get to see our families twice or even three times every semester. Plus we get the opportunity to be close to them during our summers. This is a wonderful time to be together and enjoy each other’s company. Coming from the Caribbean my family goes to the beach a lot. We like outdoor events too.
Can you really be happy as a priest since priests don’t make much money? I really do not worry too much about it. Money has never been a motivation for me but the way I live my life. Money is important but not primordial. My vocation toward the priesthood is centered in service and not in luxury. That is precisely what makes me feel happy already.
Who helped you decide to become a priest? What helped me to decide to become a priest was the example of pope John Paul II’s life and the dedication of the priests I met in . That has been the foundation of my vocation. There are also many needs in the and it is crucial for young men and women to find their call to serve the Church.
When did you decide to study to be a priest? How did you know God was calling you to be a priest? I first thought of becoming a priest when I was a junior in high school. I went through RCIA in order to receive my first Communion. When I graduated I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to go to the seminary. I knew for sure I wanted to study for the priesthood after I visited the seminary during a Vocation Awareness Weekend. I was 18 years old back then.
What do you think the best thing will be about being a priest? One of the best things about being a priest is working with people and teaching them about the faith. God has chosen many people to be missionaries of his Word. The priesthood is a continuation of the service the first Christians did. Christ’s words are heard everyday in the celebration of the Eucharist. It is a challenge in a difficult time but what an awesome challenge “to serve the Lord and walk humbly with God.”
