Father Iven Olmo is chaplain of the Orlando Chapter of Legatus. He grew up in New York City, where his father worked as a jeweler. He initially opted for a business career, earning an M.B.A. and working for AT&T for 23 years.
A memorable Confession in Florida led him to enter Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary in Massachusetts, however, and he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Orlando in 2013. He now serves as pastor of Annunciation Church in Altamonte Springs, FL, a role he assumed in 2020 when its previous pastor, Fr. Stephen Parkes, was named bishop of Savannah, GA.
He also assumed Fr. Parkes’s role as Legatus chaplain.
Did you grow up in a practicing Catholic home?
Yes. I found that from a young age there was something that drew me to the Church and to the Mass. It was home.
I did not feel a calling to the priesthood, however. I never thought I would become a priest. My vocation came as a surprise. Others sensed
it, though. My mother later told me, “We were shocked when you went to work for Corporate America. We thought you’d become a priest.”
What led you to the seminary?
I experienced a good Confession. I didn’t know it was going to happen beforehand, but I found myself in an atmosphere in which I completely opened myself up to God for the first time. The Confession lasted 2 1⁄2 hours. The priest helped me examine my life, my conscience, and my heart. He told me, “Don’t be afraid to tell God everything.”
Afterward, I felt purged. I had experienced God’s mercy in an intimate, personal way. I told God, “I have never felt like this before. If I can feel like this all the time, I’m yours.”
Three days later, I felt the call. At age 42, I left AT&T, and began my discernment journey. After a two-year transition, during which time I studied philosophy and assisted at a parish, I entered seminary.
Was it hard adjusting to seminary life in your 40s?
No. I was scared for about a week at the prospect of losing my sense of security, however. I was walking away from a career, a salary, and a home. I wondered, “What if God says no to me?”
Despite those concerns, God affirmed my call. I felt Him saying, “I love you, I choose you, I’m calling you.”
How has your experience of the priesthood been?
We all want to know who we are, why we are here, and what our purpose is in life. God showed me these things through the priesthood. That,
for me, has translated into joy and happiness.
At one point in Scripture, Jesus says, “Take nothing for the journey” (Luke 9:3), and in another place he says, “Do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say” (Matt 10:19). These Gospel passages have been the basis for my priesthood.
What has your experience been with Legatus? Have you launched any new initiatives?
I’ve felt welcomed and embraced. I love my Legatus family, and I look forward to our meetings.
It has been my pleasure since November to offer to the entire Chapter the opportunity to come for spiritual direction. Some have already begun making appointments. It is my hope that our members find it an effective tool in learning to pray and draw closer to God, to know His will and to see where He is leading them in life. It can help them discern a new role, explore new opportunities, and otherwise to hear God’s voice.