In photo above, BeeJae and Christine Visitacion, members of St. John Vianney Parish in Rancho Cordova, with their children, Clay and Kenzi.
“Millennials have a track record of being non-committal,” suggests BeeJae Visitacion, possibly eschewing association with his generational cohort. “Sometimes young adults throw around the phrase, ‘Let me discern that,’ like an excuse without any actual discernment. With two kids, we have to mean it,” he says, referring to himself and Christine, his wife of five years. He asks rhetorically, “Are we in the right place?” Adept in the practice of vocational examination, he explains, “We made this commitment to live each day doing church work and sometimes it is very difficult.”
BeeJae and Christine, ages 33 and 32 respectively, mirror the truest sense of vocation lived well, both in marriage and work, by answering the call to serve God, family and community as a couple. But theirs is an increasingly uncommon commitment, especially among the under-40-something crowd.
BeeJae works full time for the Diocese of Sacramento as manager of new media and communications and Christine balances motherhood with part-time work for the Sacramento River Cats. The couple met 14 years ago while attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, married and now has two children. They are members of St. John Vianney Parish in Rancho Cordova.
“It wasn’t that long ago that I was in line for a full-time job at a high tech company in the Silicon Valley,” BeeJae recalls, admitting that sometimes annoying “what ifs” pop up in the back of his mind. He says “that would have really helped me to take care of my family.” He pauses and adds, “financially.”
“Ultimately, there is a far greater peace in the job choice that I made,” BeeJae affirms, recognizing that the money piece pales in comparison to the riches of faith and family life.
A visit to his brother’s parish some years back turned out to be a providential moment for BeeJae, as he listened to messages during Mass “to reach out and welcome young people.” He thought about what that meant and realized he was hungry for ministry.
“I had been talking about designing professionally for the church,” he recalls, hoping he might be able to put his graphic communication degree to use. He reached out to the Diocese of San Jose and eventually a position opened up. Engaged at the time, BeeJae and Christine knew it would be a difficult decision to leave his tech job – forfeiting the opportunity for great benefits and stock options – but he accepted the interview and the job.
The young couple married at Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose in November 2013 but looked to discernment and prayer 18 months later as they worked through a painful miscarriage and Christine’s reassessment of her work life.
“We make decisions and sacrifices based on what’s best for our family,” Christine shares, stressing how daily Mass, adoration and “sitting with Jesus” helped in the healing process.“ Sitting in brokenness is very painful,” Christine admits, poignantly revealing how “living your faith is about feeling everything.” She wonders if the trend of millennials venturing away from the church and faith signals more of a desire for instant gratification over dealing with pain.
Fast forward to 2016, BeeJae and Christine found themselves once again immersed in prayerful discernment when the Diocese of Sacramento advertised a position. They also learned they were expecting a baby.
“An opportunity in the Sacramento Diocese gave us a chance to raise a family in a more affordable area compared to the sky-rocketing home prices in the Silicon Valley, as well as an opportunity to continue working for the church, doing what I was called to do,” BeeJae says, confident in the decision to move and grateful for God’s timing. “Sacramento has reignited the fire,” he adds, noting it came at a time when he was refocusing spiritually.
Now two years later, BeeJae and Christine savor their full lives, having welcomed their second baby last August. They have a keen sense of friends who struggle with “dark places” and the pervasive question, “Should we stay Catholic?”
“We’re fortunate; it’s not an issue for us,” BeeJae says, sharing how they seek community and always focus on how to keep turning to God “through peaks and valleys in order to know the joy of faith.”
Catholic Herald Issue