Hospitals and Prayers: A Childhood That Even the Best Doctor Couldn’t Prescribe
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5)
I am Fr. Hans Candell, LC, born on December 27, 1989, and I am 35 years old. My priestly vocation was a mystery in my life until I was 22. I grew up in a family deeply marked by medicine and the Catholic faith. I am the third of four children, son of Hans Candell and Cony de Candell, both doctors. My childhood was immersed in a hospital environment, not only as an enthusiastic spectator of my parents’ work but also as a recurrent patient; nothing serious, but for some reason or another, I always seemed to be in the hospital. This greatly influenced my childhood dream of following in my parents’ footsteps, helping people, and serving through the practice of medicine.
My family was a school of perseverance, effort, and faith. Although our religious experience was that of a traditional Catholic family attending Sunday Mass, faith was an important pillar in our home. I cannot fail to mention my grandparents, Marina Soto and Moris and Violeta Candell, who, each in their own way, transmitted fundamental values such as resilience, perseverance, excellence, and love for family.
Medicine: Plan A… until God Had Something Better in Mind
“My plans are not your plans” (Isaiah 55:8)
After finishing high school, I made the natural decision to enter Medical School. I fell in love with the career and the life project I had built in my mind since childhood: helping others through medicine, following the example of my parents. I enjoyed the frenetic pace of university, sleepless nights preparing exams, hospital practices, and the feeling that I was heading toward a solid and promising future.
However, amidst my studies, Jesus began to enter my life in a new and transformative way. During those university years, I was graced to truly get to know Him, moving from being a historical figure to a close and real friend. This happened thanks to a conversion retreat at the Catholic Community El Salvador del Mundo, a movement in which I remained for seven years before joining the Legion of Christ. I will never forget that experience; it was as if someone turned on a light in a room I didn’t even realize was in darkness.
Doctor of Bodies and Souls
“Come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21)
Tradition says that Saint Luke was a doctor. His passion for helping people achieve health led him to a personal and profound encounter with Christ, which made his life have a new, much broader and more meaningful horizon. His conviction was such that he changed his scalpel for a pen. How little I was aware that something similar was about to happen to me!
God’s plans were different from mine. He knew my qualities better than I did myself and made an unexpected invitation: to follow Him more closely and give Him my life completely. The call arose when several friends from my prayer community decided to enter the Legion of Christ novitiate. We had much in common: we were university students with well-defined life projects, surrounded by the same friends, and even in serious dating relationships. When they took that step, a troubling question settled in my heart: “If they have a vocation, being so similar to me, is it possible that I also have one?” That simple question opened a path of discernment that, although not easy, culminated in my entering the novitiate in Mexico in the summer of 2014.
The conversations I had with Jesus during those months have been some of the deepest and most transcendent of my life, and I do not have enough lines in this story to tell them all. Nevertheless, the call was clear: “come and follow me.”
A Leap into the Void… And It Turned Out to Be with the Best Parachute!
“Whoever leaves house, brothers, or fields for my sake will receive a hundredfold” (Matthew 19:29)
Saying it was easy would be a lie. Leaving medicine, friends, and the future I had planned was a leap into the void. But amid all doubts and sacrifices, there was always a happiness and a sense of belonging to my new family that defied logical explanation. Over time, I understood what I had heard so many times: that when one follows God’s will, it doesn’t mean everything will be easy, but that He will be there to support us along the way.
Spiritual teachers teach that one of the signs of doing God’s will is inner peace, even when it is difficult to fulfill. In these almost 11 years of faithful following of this call, I can testify that this has been the greatest confirmation of my vocation. God, in His infinite mercy, has called me to be one of His priests, and in that certainty, I find fulfillment and joy in having dedicated my life to His service. And although I never imagined exchanging a stethoscope for a stole, or the operating room for the confessional, I can say with certainty that I have never been as happy as I am serving God and His children.
Simply, Thank You.
“Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
Finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all who have been part of this journey. First of all, to God, who by a mystery of His love has called me to this beautiful adventure. To my parents, Hans and Cony, whose example of love, dedication, and struggle has been my greatest school. To my siblings Luis Carlos, Violeta, and Verónica, for their unconditional support. To my grandparents, relatives, and friends, who with their affection, prayers, and companionship have been witnesses and pillars of my vocation. To my fellow legionaries, with whom I have shared this path of dedication and formation, and to my formators and superiors, who have been guides and support in this process. Thank you all for being part of this wonderful calling of God in my life.
