At the University of California at Berkeley, Los Angeles, native Rendell Torres followed somewhat of a family tradition and studied to be a structural engineer. His grandfather was a building contractor and his father was an architect. Rendell graduated with a degree in engineering and pursued graduate work in acoustics at Penn State with a goal to design concert halls. In addition to his aptitude for engineering, Rendell is also an accomplished cellist. He further studied engineering acoustics in Sweden and later became an assistant professor at RPI in Troy. He had been engaged and thought that life would steer him toward being a husband and raising a family. He asked himself, “What more could I want than this?” To his question there came another question; “But is there something more than this for you?”

Today, Deacon Rendell is about to finish his last year at Blessed John XXIII Seminary near Boston. He hopes to be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Albany this June. His vocation to the priesthood, guided by our Vocations Office under the direction of Fr. Jim Walsh and Sr. Rosemary Cuneo, C.R., came to fruition after many years of nurturing a faith in God which deepened over time. Rendell looks forward to serving people in a parish where, as he says, “Heaven meets earth every Sunday” and to his new life as a priest, professing love for God and for all His Church, here in our diocese and around the world being, in his words, “Christ for others.” Truly, there is a beautiful life ahead for Rendell Torres and his brother seminarians in the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Pope Benedict XVI declared 2010 to be the “Year of the Priest.” 2010 is a momentous year for the people and priesthood of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany because for the first time since 1982, five men hope to be ordained priests for our diocese. In addition to Rendell Torres there are,