Fr. William (Willy) AQUIJE-MATTA, A.A., was ordained on September 11, 2011. He is currently living with the Assumptionist community which serves the neediest and is located on a string of barges in the Seine River near Paris. Here he is "in his own words."

When I was 6 years old, I used to be an altar boy always ready to open the doors of the church. Already at that young age·I had a desire to become a priest. But such a desire needed to be concretized.

In my native Peru, in Canada, in Kenya, and now here in France, God allowed me to experience some beautiful things but also some real trials, before·I would say yes to his call.

 Today, my God, I am ready. Today I am ready to share your Word with the nations and to tell them that You are present among them. I am ready to share your bread with those who hunger. And, above all, I am ready to celebrate Eucharist and give thanks for the gift You offer to each one of us.

For me, everything we do here on the barges, living and working, is apostolic. Sharing the life of those  we welcome here, sharing their stories, their sufferings, their struggles, and their dreams .....  this is what it means to live communion in diversity and to be faithful to the message of Christ who calls us to participate in the building up of his body "so that his Kingdom might come."

I am convinced that the key to working with the poor is "being with." In order to grow, human beings need to be seen and acknowledged for who they are because each individual is a gift of God and it is up to us to hasten the coming of His Kingdom.

I have come to understand that my apostolic work must constantly be fed by prayer. Reading the Word of God regularly is essential in that regard; it sustains me in my commitment to God and to the poor. It gives me the light and strength I need to act. Only in prayer can I learn how to live that word.