Fr. Martin Ramat
On Saturday, the 7th day of
September 1974, I was born by Josefina Jovinal and Federico Ramat (deceased) in
a small town of Echague, Province of Isabela, Philippines. Blessed
with two brothers and two sisters, we were raised in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
where I finished my grade school and high school. After high school in 1992, I
entered as a diocesan seminarian at St. Francis Xavier Orientation Seminary, in
Baguio City, Philippines where we were
introduced to seminary life for one year. Upon the recommendation of the
faculty, I continued my college seminary formation at San Pablo Major Seminary
also in Baguio City where I finished Bachelor of Arts
major in philosophy.
After four years of philosophical studies, I moved
on to Spiritual Formation Year (SFY), a non-academic pre-theology year where we
focused on the spiritual, human (psychological) and pastoral (rural immersion
and labor immersion) aspects of seminary formation. Following SFY, I worked as
a pastoral worker in one of the parishes of my former diocese. Then, I
continued my theological studies at the Immaculate Conception School of
Theology in Vigan City, Ilocos
Sur, Philippines.
To complete my experience to be a teacher from elementary to college levels, I
decided to teach in the university after my second year of theology.
|
 |
| Fr. Martin Ramat |
|
|
As I
was preparing to leave the seminary, I was invited to be one of the formators
(administration staff) in the newly opened interdiocesan college
seminary. The Local Bishop (the Chair of the Seminary Board) appointed me
Dean of Students and Procurator of St. Dominic Seminary in Bayombong, Nueva
Vizcaya. Holding those two major seminary offices, I was also a Professor at
St. Mary's University in Bayombong where seminarians are taking their bachelor
degrees. In 2004, I was accepted by our diocese to continue my seminary
formation at St. Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California
where I finished my Bachelor in Sacred Theology (an ecclesiastical degree) and
Master of Divinity (civil degree). After finishing my academics on theological
studies at St. Patrick's Seminary & University, I was accommodated by Fr.
Benedict DeLeon (the Pastor) to spend my pastoral year in St.
Thomas the Apostle Parish, Oroville,
California. It was a year of
pastoral immersion in preparation for ordination.
On May 28, 2007, I was
ordained as a transitional deacon for our Diocese. I was assigned to the
same parish to exercise my diaconate ministry before Priesthood Ordination. On
October 26, 2007, I was ordained to the Catholic Priesthood by His Excellency,
Bishop William K. Weigand, DD at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Sacramento, California.
Bishop Weigand appointed me Parochial Vicar of the Parish of St. Isidore, Yuba City, California
and at the same time Parochial Vicar pro tem of Our Lady of Lourdes, Colusa. After
more than 2 years of serving St. Isidore Parish, Yuba City, Bishop Jaime Soto
has now appointed me Parochial Vicar effective 15th day of February,
2010 to this wonderful and multi-cultural Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer,
Vallejo, California. This is a new home
for me to serve God and His people, a new home that demands a new way of
relating, knowing and loving this portion of God's People as we come together
as a Church to worship Him with all our life and our hearts.
|
|
