Father William De Jesus Carmona Lopez was born on January 18, 1963 in Cañasgordas, Antioquia, Colombia to Jesus Maria Carmona and Araceli Lopez. He entered into eternal rest on September 10, 2014 with his brother priests, deacons, seminarians, friends and caregivers at his side.
Please pray for his dear sisters and brothers, Miriam, Dolores, Darío, Silvia, Imelda, Jesus Maria, Alfredo, Efigenia, Beatriz, Rafael and Gabriel, and all his relatives and friends.
William grew up in Colombia, received a Catholic education and at age twelve experienced a personal call to priesthood. He attended seminary and received a degree in philosophy, but he did not have the resources to continue. He later worked in different areas and completed various studies before moving to the United States in 2000. William was invited to become a scholastic for the Society of the Divine Savior, the Salvatorians. Eventually he was sent to Cookeville, TN, to serve as a youth minister at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, staffed by the order. While there he discerned again the original call to diocesan priesthood with the Diocese of Nashville in 2008. Many different parishes and people came to know William over the years. In 2009, the Diocese of Nashville sent William to San Antonio, Texas to enroll in Assumption Seminary and Oblate School of Theology for priestly formation. In 2010 William developed cancer but miraculously survived after surgery and treatment. Unfortunately, into the last year of formation, when he was scheduled for ordination, William’s cancer returned and was aggressive and terminal.
When Bishop Choby of Nashville learned of his grave condition, he made plans to travel to San Antonio, and fulfill William’s hope to serve God’s people. He was ordained deacon and then a priest of Nashville in a Mass at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital Northwest on September 8, 2014. William was known for his deep faith, friendly nature, likeability and warm heart. He was always an enthusiastic, generous and committed servant to others.
Services will be held at Our Lady’s Chapel on the campus of Assumption Seminary, 2600 W. Woodlawn San Antonio, TX 78228. Visitation will begin at 4:30 p.m. Friday, September 12, 2014 and end at 9:00 p.m. A Vigil Service will be held at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will resume on Saturday, September 13, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. and the Funeral Mass will be at 9:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Assumption Seminary Endowment Fund to help seminarians in priestly formation or to the charity of your choice.
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