Destiny's lot cast Father Dario in a turbulent era. He had no alternative but to accept this harsh reality and refrain from meddling in political affairs. Suddenly, he received a great consolation that drew comfort in his heart: on the 25 of April 1931, Monsignor Guizar summoned him to Veracruz and ordained him as a priest. Unfortunately, his mother could not attend the ceremony because her son Vicente was gravely ill. Only his brothers Heriberto and Leopoldo were able to attend. A month later, on the 24 of May, Father Dario sang his first Mass, celebrating the feast of Pentecost.

     We can imagine the profound excitement that filled his soul. The people say his face was bursting with excitement. What joy he must have felt, when he said for the first time before rising to the altar: " To the altar of the Lord I will draw near, to the God of the joy of my youth!"(Ps. 43.4). He was 23 years old, in the spring of his youth and his heart overflowed with fervor and joy, fruit of the Holy Spirit as the Apostle St. Paul explains (GAL 5, 22).

     When Blessed Monsignor Guizar had placed his venerable hands on Dario's head to make him a priest, it's clear that Dario knew what he was doing- into Whom he was being converted. Perhaps he realized much more than the disciples who were ordained at the last supper on Holy Thursday. Dario knew that to be a priest means to be intimately united to Christ, morethan anything- on the Cross before the glory. I am reminded here of what Don Bosco's mother told him on the day of his ordination." Here and now, you are a priest, my son. You can say the Mass, but do not forget, my son, that to begin to say the mass means to begin to suffer."

     Two days later, on the 26th of May, Dario received his appointment as assistant pastor in the parish of Our Lady's Assumption (today the Cathedral of Veracruz). He was not afforded the opportunity to carry out his pastoral mission for a prolonged period. Exactly two months later was called to heaven. But people had time enough to notice several outstanding characteristics of his short but sweet ministry. Several people mentioned to the ecclesiastical tribunal that " he spent a lot of time in the confessional. " If the priest's vocation is to continue Christ´s work on earth, is it not his special vocation to sew the seed of pardon as Christ did during His mortal life? This is what Father Dario did in the confessional. No doubt that the ministry of pardon is the most demanding, most delicate and fatiguing for the priest. By the same token, it is the most important work-to reconcile man with God, acting as mediator between Jesus, the only intercessor, and the poor sinner. Here, we are reminded of the Cure de Ars, San Juan-Maria Vianney, who spent up to fifteen hours daily in the confessional to give God's pardon to those who had come from all parts of the world. Dario also spent hour upon hour in the same place to give the same pardon. I imagine that it was also his kindness that attracted so many people to visit him.

     Without his realizing it, Dario was being prepared for the final stage of his life, living as Christ, especially during his fervent celebration of the Mass. We know that the Eucharist cannot be considered without reference to the Passion of Our Lord who "shed his blood and denied himself unto death" (Is 53, 12) and because " He offered His own blood, He entered once for all into the Sanctuary after obtaining the ultimate liberation. " (Heb 9, 12). That means that the priest, celebrating the mysteries of the Eucharist, the death and resurrection of Our Lord, must himself live, in the state of a victim totally offered, (1 Co. 10, 16), as a victim poured forth. The priest must himself receive Jesus who delivered himself for the world receive and offer to Christ all the space in his life He merits and to give Him power to enter into his spiritual and corporal being and, consequently, to follow Him to the cross.

     Dario was quite familiar with the value of the cross in our life. In his notebooks, he left us a crucial sermon: THE CROSS IS OUR STRENGTH IN LIFE, OUR CONSOLATION AT DEATH AND OUR GLORY IN ETERNITY He leaves us this heartfelt, fiery passage, "The Cross is our strength in this life, since offering all our acts for Christ crucified, everything becomes easy. Since He suffered so much for us on the Cross, we also must suffer a little for Him. Since we have set our mind on the ideal task of saving souls, we should and must become familiar with suffering, in imitation of our kind role model, Who with such love, bore all our sufferings for love of us. We must bear all things for love of our Divine Master in Whom we find our sole source of strength sufficient to continue our daily struggle, whilst we remain on this earth.

     As if it were a foreboding premonition, we read further on,"Our consolation is in death, because as much as our joy in bearing the cross has been during life, so much more shall it be our consolation in the final hour. This is particularly so for the priest, whose chosen path is that of the Cross and sacrifice. What consolation it shall be to look back on one's past, and upon examining each step in one's life, to see that they have followed the footprints trodden by their Divine Master, and in no manner have they strayed from the path. Ah! What satisfaction, without a doubt it will be and what consolation to see in the final hour that one's life has been a true cross and a continuous suffering. But the Cross born as it should be, is nothing in comparison to the immense Glory which awaits. We know well that after this life, each one of us shall receive the reward or punishment we merit, in proportion to our good acts and bad, in such a way that if the good we do is great, so also shall be the glory prepared for us.

    It's quite obvious that Father Dario clearly understood that the cross and the resurrection comprise an indivisible part of the glorification. Jesus' glory cannot be understood except in the glory of the Crucified One. Consequently, he understood his obligation as a priest whose path, he emphasizes is that of the Cross and Sacrifice. Dario reasons much like St. Aloysious Gonzaga, who, in facing his daily duties, said, " What's this in comparison with comparison with eternity which awaits?" Dario measures by the same rule and tries to point out that the value of our acts will have their importance in the ultimate hour. No doubt, he thought also as St. Paul, who considered his cross an insignificant nothing in comparison to the glory which awaited. " the slight trial which soon passes, prepares us for the eternal riches of glory, so great that there is no comparison " (2 Co 4, 17).

    At the end of his sermon, Father Dario adds: "The Cross is our Glory in eternity and as glory consists in the knowledge and love of God, the more we will have suffered and done for Him during our life, so much more shall we know and love Him forever.

    As we can see, for Father Dario, the Cross and the death of the Our Lord are not revealed in all their importance, except in the light of the resurrection. That is the nucleus of our Christian faith. Joyful and serene, he continued his ministry frequently repeating, one can presume, the Hymn that Monsignor Salvador Septién had composed and which chimed in the Seminary halls: "It is our yearning... to die for Christ fighting, in peace, God willing. " Certainly for Father Dario, as for St. Paul, just one thing mattered, one person we should say" I resolved to think of nothing else while among you, but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." (1 Co 2, 2)

     The religious persecution was roaring so fiercely that the pastor called in his three assistant priests, Father Rafael Rosas , Alberto Lando and Dario Acosta and expressed to them the grave situation the Church was in. He clearly explained to them that they ran a risk for their lives, and were free to go into hiding; to flee to their homes if they so desired.

    The three priests offered a unanimous reply, "Reverend father, we are ready to take the consequences, however grave, in order to fulfill our priestly duties ". No doubt, Father Dario had read the letter, " Giant of Christian Virtues ", sent by Blessed Monsignor Guizar to his Priests, the previous 4th of July. The bishop repeated to his priests the words of Our Lord and those of St. Paul: "We must not fear those who can kill the body, but those who give death to the soul."(Mt. 10.28) and "Lord, neither life, nor death, nor the greatest consolations, nor the strongest tribulations, nor the present, nor the future, nor any living creature shall separate us from you." (Rom. 8.35).

    With the strength of Christ, Dario " resolutely undertook the road to his Jerusalem ", (Lc, 9.51) knowing very well that the cross is the fundamental form and the synthesis of those who follow Christ (Mc, 8.34). He had to drink the cup that his Master had drunk and to receive the same baptism in the blood (Lc 10, 38). He aspired to the same end and was able to say like his Teacher: " But I also must receive a baptism and what anguish I feel until it is done." (Lc,12, 15)

    Dario lived in complete liberty, in a sovereign disposition, ready to give his life for his brothers as the word of the Apostle John explains in his first letter: " Jesus Christ sacrificed His life for our brothers and in this we have known what love is; so also we must give up our life for our brothers " (I Jn. 3, 16). His life was oriented towards martyrdom just as the life of Christ.

     Soon, their enemies, those who planned to squash the Church, were going to see how much he loved the Father because " He did as the commanded him (Jn, 14, 31). The test of love that Christ was about to request of him now required him " to give his life for his friends " (Jn, 15.10). Dario would do so in complete liberty and serenity.

     In fact, Dario practiced the preaching of the Apostle Peter, who wrote in his first letter to the Christians in great distress: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that comes upon you to put you to the test, as if something strange were happening. But rejoice in so far as you share in christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." (1Pt., 4, 12-14).

     Darío was living those words. All that lacked for him to imitate Christ perfectly was to shed his blood. His " hour " was on the verge of appearing. (Mc, 14, 41). With reason, St. Thomas Aquinas tells us: Nam Cristus descendit ad inferos pro salute nostra, et nos frequenter debemus solliciti esse illuc descendere (Expos symb. not 932).

Christ descended to hell for our salvation; he asks us to go there frequently as well.

Dario had to descend to his own hell. He did nothing to hasten his hour. He had no history of meddling in political affairs. One witness, Mrs. Maria Lopez Ramirez, says: " he never demonstrated himself as a rebel opposed to the government"(19 of October 1994). He did nothing to provoke his martyrdom but like Jesus, he was ready. Nobody deserves the grace of martyrdom. But as he had always imitated Christ in all his being, he was ready for the supreme hour. "Now that the darknesses dominates, the hour has come."(Lc, 22.53).

Exorcism

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