My name is Valentine Okoro. I am a 29-year-old Catholic who runs a small-scale pastry shop where I sell muffins, egg rolls, chin, and meat pies. I have a college degree in Biotechnology and attend the Traditional Latin Mass, which I discovered in 2019 while I was still in college.

For seven years, I have desired to join a religious community but have not had the opportunity to even visit a community anywhere. I wanted to quit college to be able to discern the vocation, but my spiritual director, Fr. Charles Ike, the Nigerian FSSP priest in my parish, advised me to finish my schooling while praying to God to preserve the desire if it is His will, and to observe myself. I heeded his advice and finished schooling. It is now approaching three years since I finished college and one year since I completed the one-year national service required of Nigerian college graduates.

Sometime last month, after a Novena to St. Joseph and at the beginning of my recent fortnightly retreat at a shrine of Our Lady, which is 16 kilometers from the parish where I live, I returned to my spiritual director and told him of my intention to apply for a formal discernment of religious vocation with the Franciscans in the Philippines, to avoid rejecting a possible call from God.

On May 3rd, I applied for a formal discernment of the religious life by contacting the superior of the Franciscan community. He replied after eight days, requesting to know my intentions. I sent him my vocation story, which contains my intentions, inspirations, and attractions to such a beautiful life.

Three hours after sending the story, I received a reply from the superior. He believes that I have a vocation and asked me to come to their community in June, since a new formation period is about to begin.

My difficulty in funding the travel is the reason I humbly request your help. The monastery expects me to raise funds in the range of $1,500 to $1,700 USD within a few weeks so that I can apply for the visa to travel and pay for the flight ticket. However, due to the economy of my country, a recent college graduate can hardly get a job that earns more than $100 USD per month. That is exactly what I earn from my pastry business, with which I survive.

I cannot achieve this on my own. I humbly ask you to help me embrace this opportunity to live this beautiful life that requires me to surrender myself to God entirely. Any donation will be deeply appreciated. If you are not able to donate, your prayers for me and sharing this link with friends who might be able and willing to support me will go a very long way.

Thank you very much for your generosity and prayers. May God in His mercy reward you.

Yours in Jesus and Mary,

Valentine Okoro