We Would Love
to Keep in Touch!

Brother David Cardozo Ruiloba, MS was born in Tarija, Bolivia on April 15, 1972, one of six children born to Damien and Julia Ruiloba. For the first 20 years of his life he knew nothing about La Salette or the Missionaries who bear that name. After high school he entered the diocesan seminary where he completed three years of philosophy. Yet he knew something was missing in his life. So he left. Of course the Bishop was not happy. He saw a lot of potential in this young man. He told David that perhaps the diocesan priesthood was not right for him. At the same time, because of what he saw in him, he felt sure David was called to the priesthood. Perhaps he should consider joining a religious community. The Bishop suggested four – the Dominicans, the Augustinians, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the La Salettes.

During the next three years while David worked in Cochabamba he also went to visit the first three religious communities the Bishop had suggested. They were names familiar to him so he spent some time with each of then. Again nothing clicked. That left the La Salettes about whom he knew nothing. So he didn’t even bother to go see them.

 

David loves music, especially folkloric, and is very agile dancing to its rhythm. He often went to folkloric dance festivals. At one of them he met a friend from his past, José Luis, who was now a La Salette seminarian. José introduces him to the other La Salettes who were there with him – two novices from Brazil and one from Bolivia. They invited him to come visit them at the novitiate.

David took them up on their offer a couple of weeks later and planned to spend a few days with them. He liked what he experienced. While there he helped cook, even cooking up some typical Tarijan dishes. He even taught them some Bolivian folkloric dances. Since he was a handyman and liked fixing things he felt very useful because there were quite a few things that needed fixing at the noviciate. So he stayed. It’s strange how God works. David told me that one of the reasons he didn’t stay with the other religious communities was that everything was too perfect. Here however he felt useful and appreciated – as a person and for his talents.

Soon after he decided to join the La Salettes his friend José left the community. They remain friends and José later told David that perhaps God’s reason for bringing him to La Salette was so that he could introduce David to them.

Joining the La Salette seminary program, David began his theological studies. Three years later, in 2005, he entered the noviciate in Cochabamba and a year later was professed; after that he finished his theological studies. In 2008 he moved to Santa Fe, Argentina with Fr. Bob Butler, MS where his creative and artistic talents have proven very beneficial to the pastoral of that parish. On February 5, 2009, while on the last part of my sabbatical program, I was able to assist at his perpetual profession in Santa Fe. On March 15 he receive his diaconate there. After Easter he returned again to Cochabamba. God willing he will be ordained in October in Cochabamba where his La Salette journey began. We pray for him and wish him well in his religious and priestly ministry as a La Salette Missionary.