Meet a Comboni Missionary Br. Mario Jason Castro

My name is Mario Jason Castro, a Comboni Missionary Brother from the Philippines. I am the fourth of six children, and my parents supported us by selling livestock meat in the market. They worked tirelessly to ensure we had a proper education, instilling in us strong values and faith. I received the sacraments and necessary instructions in our faith, which prepared me for the future. Yet, as time passed, I felt an emptiness, as if something was missing, leaving me unsettled for a long period.

When I was in first grade, I stood one day in front of a fountain under a large tree during break time, feeling lost after being reprimanded by a school adviser for being “different” from my peers. Adjusting to life in a Catholic school, vastly different from the village school I had previously attended, was challenging. Over time, through sports, I began to connect with my peers. By high school, I came to see that being sent to a Catholic school by my parents was the greatest gift. There, I encountered religious life through the priests and brothers running the school. Their lifestyle attracted me, and I decided to join them after completing secondary school.

However, after two years in their formation program, I was advised to leave the seminary, which I perceived as a sign that I was not called to religious life. Packing my bags was disheartening, but I decided to enroll in an engineering school, seeking a stable future. Life was good, but that same sense of emptiness eventually returned.

It was during this time that I came across a promotional copy of World Mission magazine from the Comboni Missionaries. On the back page was an invitation to a recollection for young men discerning their vocation. I decided to attend, seeking clarity and direction. That decision changed my life.

My initial stages of formation were in the Philippines, with the postulancy in Quezon City and the novitiate in Calamba City, Laguna. I was then sent to Nairobi, Kenya, for the final stage of formation at the International Brothers’ Centre. While there, I earned a degree in Social Development from Tangaza College. It was also there that I received my first mission assignment to Uganda.

Mission in Uganda

In Uganda, I served primarily in the northern part of the country among the Acholi people of Kitgum and Gulu, and the Lango tribe of Lira. During this time, I encountered both profound challenges and blessings. After witnessing a traumatic event that claimed the life of my confrere and superior, I took a year-long break in Kampala. However, I returned to Gulu, resuming my work at the printing press until I was posted in Lira, where I stayed for six years. In total, I spent nearly seventeen years in Uganda.

My missionary journey has been one of joy and sorrow, molding me into the person and religious brother I am today. I was fortunate to collaborate with many experienced and highly qualified Comboni Missionaries who guided me and enriched my mission.

The Christian communities that welcomed and supported me during my time in rebel-infested areas inspired me to embrace the challenges of ministry with courage and resilience.

Adaptation and Flexibility

As a religious brother, my ministry has always depended on the needs of the religious and Christian communities where I am sent. This requires constant adaptation and flexibility. Through this work, I have learned the importance of being open and patient, acquiring new skills along the way. I have witnessed how God works through events, circumstances, and relationships to guide us to where we are meant to be.

Now, I find myself in a newly established parish, St. Daniel Comboni in Limay-Bataan, serving as a pastoral agent and community bursar. This follows six years in Rome and nearly two decades in Uganda. Through it all, I have seen God’s hand guiding my path, often asking me beyond my comfort zone to experience personal and spiritual growth.

To those discerning their vocation, I say: Trust the promptings of the Holy Spirit. God invites us to a life that may be unsettling but ultimately fulfilling. It is a journey of serving the poor, growing in faith, and being counted among countless men and women who have dedicated their lives to God’s mission. Please keep me and all missionaries in your prayers.

Bro. Mario Jason Castro
Comboni Missionaries