Father Eusebio Kino had a vocation that has impacted generations. As a Jesuit priest, he founded 20 missions in Southern Arizona and Northern Mexico in the late 1600s, riding on horseback while spreading God’s love.
The Kino Catechetical Institute in the Diocese of Phoenix, named after this horse-riding priest, helps students experience a deeper sense of their vocation. Founded in 1972 by Father Ernest Larkin, the Kino Institute offers faith formation programs for Catholic school teachers, aspiring deacons, parish catechists and any Catholic adult seeking to deepen their faith.
Among the courses offered is a two-year faith formation program called Agua Viva, which is
active in three parishes in the diocese — Our Lady of Guadalupe in Queen Creek, Ariz., St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix and St. William in Cashion, Ariz. The program will also be starting at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix in September.
A marriage set ablaze
Originally from Guatemala, married couple Felipe Mateo-Martin and Reynalda Sebastian are parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Queen Creek. They enrolled in Agua Viva nearly 20 years ago. Mateo-Martin, a catechist for the local Guatemalan community at Queen of Peace in Mesa, Ariz., wanted to take the course to be a better leader. Sebastian joined, wanting to share what they learned with their two children.
The fire of the Holy Spirit was enkindled within the couple as they participated in Agua Viva, and they decided to enroll in an additional two-year formation program with the Kino Institute.
Although they were both born and raised Catholic, Sebastian admitted that she didn’t really practice her faith until she married her husband. During the Kino programs, the couple found themselves clinging to the sacraments more than they ever had, and their deepening faith started to impact their children.
“Prior to going through the program, we were not going to Mass every Sunday, not praying very often and put God last,” Sebastian said. “After the program … God is now at the center of our lives as a family.”
Since graduating from the Kino programs, Sebastian has become an Agua Viva instructor herself, and the couple’s vocation has deepened.
“It has helped us understand our marriage and that God is the author,” Mateo-Martin shared.
An intergenerational impact
But the impact didn’t stop there. The flame of the Holy Spirit was passed to their children, Briseyda Mateo-Sebastian and Mike Mateo-Sebastian, SJ, who also decided to go through the same Kino programs as young adults.
Being exposed to religious literature during her time at Kino is what helped Briseyda grow
in her understanding of God. For the first time, she claimed the Catholic faith for herself.
“I wasn’t just praying or believing in something because I was told to. I was praying and believing in something because I now had the knowledge to understand why.”
Although she graduated from the program 10 years ago, she still remembers how it impacted her.
“[Kino] helped me be less influenced by what the world was trying to teach me … I was able to … discern between what would bring me closer to Christ and what would … keep me away from Christ.”
What stuck with her most from Kino were the different types of people she was able to meet.
“We were all there to learn about our faith. It exemplified the universality of our Church,
and that God and our salvation isn’t just for a select few, but for all.”
Now, Briseyda follows the example of her parents, who continue to serve their Guatemalan community, by helping with sacrament preparation classes and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA).
“The Kino program was the start of how I started to serve my people. Before, I never thought about how I can share my faith with others. After having gone through Kino, I had the tools to be confident in being able to do that.”
A family legacy
Briseyda’s brother, Mike, also went through the programs, which inspired him to give back to the Guatemalan community, as well as nearby parishes. The family legacy of service continued.
While Mike was going through Kino from 2014-2016, he was also attending Benedictine University in Mesa, Ariz., majoring in theology. It soon became clear to Mike that he was made for relationship with Jesus.
As he continued to grow in his faith, Mike noticed a new desire blooming — a desire for the priesthood. He first noticed this stirring his freshman year of college and his first year at Kino. He thought there might be something more than having a steady job after college.
“Seeds were implanted … [I thought], maybe there’s something more to simply clocking in and out, day in and day out. There’s something more I can dedicate myself to.”
While attending discernment events hosted by the diocese, he realized he didn’t feel a tug to become a diocesan priest. He continued to discern during his next round of classes at Kino, which included a course on Catholic spirituality. It was in this class that he was introduced to Ignatian spirituality.
“I felt like a match … with Ignatius spirituality … Living the faith day in and day out, [Ignatian spirituality] is something that can help me do that … I want[ed] more.”
Mike put his vocational discernment on hold as he graduated with a degree in theology in 2018. He entered the workforce and continued to serve the Catholic community. It wasn’t until 2020 that he revisited the question of his vocation, feeling a tug in particular to learn about Jesuit saints. Reading St. Aloysius Gonzaga’s biography was a turning point.
“When [St. Gonzaga] decided that he was going to enter the Jesuits … he began to pray for certitude. I was like, ‘St. Gonzaga did it … I might as well do the same thing, too.’ I [prayed], ‘If this is what You want from me … I pray that You confirm this.’”
Like a still, small voice, the Lord continued guiding Mike to the Jesuits.
“I was like, ‘Lord, I really feel and see Your winds guiding me this way. I don’t know how this is going to end, so I trust in You.’”
Mike was accepted into the Jesuit Order two years ago and now attends St. Louis University in Missouri. He resides at the Bellarmine House of Studies, a Jesuit formation house. On Aug. 9, 2025, he professed first vows, and he continues to follow the whispers of the Lord.
“I’m on this journey, but I’m not on this journey alone. No vocation is done alone. With me are my parents and my sister, praying. We’re praying for each other.”
As St. Aloysius continues to guide Mike in his vocation, it’s likely that another Jesuit saint-to-be has been guiding Mike’s footsteps — and the footsteps of his family — all along: Servant of God Father Eusebio Kino.
For more information about Kino Catechetical Institute, visit dphx.org/kino/
