Father Marc Declama SVD, one of seven men ordained on Saturday, is the Society of the Divine Word's first priest from Haiti.
Father Marc Declama SVD traces his vocation not to a single moment but to a childhood shaped by faith, family and a steady openness to learning.
The youngest of eight children, he grew up in a household where both education and spirituality were central. Yet what made his upbringing especially formative was its deeply ecumenical character and the influence of relatives already living religious vocations.
“I would go to Mass in the morning,” Father Declama recalled, describing a childhood that moved fluidly between Catholic and Protestant traditions. He would go to Mass in the morning with his father and would accompany his mother to a prayer service at a Protestant church in the evening.
In Haiti, which he describes as “a Christian and predominantly Catholic country,” his family embodied a unique religious harmony. On special occasions, his mother, though Protestant, attended the Catholic Church, while his Catholic father would attend Protestant services.
This shared spiritual life instilled in him an early appreciation for unity within diversity—an outlook that would later define his missionary approach.
Equally influential were members of his extended family.
“I have a cousin who is a diocesan priest,” he said, along with an aunt who is a religious sister.
“My auntie often spoke about missionary life and what it means,” he said. “I give thanks and praise to God for their guidance and thanks to all those who have accompanied and helped me discern and respond to this call.”
Through their witness, he was exposed to the idea of a religious vocation at a young age. What began as curiosity gradually deepened into a personal calling.
Despite this early exposure, Father Declama did not assume a clear path to the priesthood. His family, while deeply rooted in faith, emphasized education above all.
In their traditional household, parents played an active role in shaping their children’s futures, and higher education was expected.
Father Declama followed that path, attending Catholic primary school, receiving the Sacraments and continuing through middle and high school, where he was Confirmed. He later pursued philosophy studies in Haiti and an undergraduate education at the Society of the Divine Word’s Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa.
When he eventually shared his desire to become a priest, he expected hesitation from his parents. Instead, he encountered support.
“I was surprised when my parents said okay,” he said. “We will pray for you.”
His mother, in particular, has remained a constant source of encouragement. That affirmation allowed him to pursue his vocation with confidence even as he continued searching for the right path.
“At the time, there was no religious congregation for priests in my town,” he explained. “I was trying to find a congregation in Haiti.”
The turning point came through a former classmate.
“There was a student who went to the same high school with me who attended Divine Word College,” he said.
That connection introduced him to the Society of the Divine Word, setting him on a path that would ultimately lead him to become the first Haitian member of the congregation to be ordained to the priesthood.
His formation took him beyond Haiti, including cross-cultural training at St. Thomas the Apostle in Quincy, Florida. There, he encountered a multicultural parish that challenged and expanded his perspective.
“When I started to meet people, it became easier,” he said. “They welcomed me into this new environment of Church and new cultures. It did not take long to feel at home. They opened their hearts and minds to share their lives and broaden my understanding of ministry and how to accompany people with respect and in their own context.”
Father Declama embraced parish life fully, involving himself in a wide range of ministries. He accompanied retreatants, visited the homebound and joined weekly Bible-sharing groups for adults.
“Those groups are dear in my heart,” he said.
Rooted in the practice of Lectio Divina, these gatherings became spaces of shared reflection and mutual learning.
“We reflected and shared how the Gospel touches our lives,” he said. “We learned from each other and talked about the struggles in our lives.”
His ministry extended into family life as well: praying with families, blessing homes and walking with individuals through personal challenges.
“To be present with the people and accompany them as they grow in their faith and in their understanding of God and the Bible,” he explained, summarizing his pastoral approach.
Whether working in youth ministry, teaching catechism classes in English and Spanish or simply listening after Mass, he found that ministry often began with presence. “Go and meet people and listen to them,” he says. “They open their hearts.”
As a deacon at St. Mary of the Lake Parish in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, he continued this work in a vibrant and diverse community. He embraced each encounter as an opportunity to learn and serve.
“This community is a blessing to me,” he said. “Through encounters with them and by listening, I have learned a great deal from their sharing. During those moments, they make themselves vulnerable and allow me to get to know them.”
He now prepares for his first assignment with the Chicago Province, where he will serve as an associate pastor at two churches and a chapel in southeastern Wisconsin.
Father Marc looks ahead with humility and anticipation. His commitment to learning remains as strong as ever.
“I strive to pray, meet people where they are and walk with them on their journeys,” he said. “I will need to keep learning and improving my capacity to serve. I am looking forward to continuing to learn so I can be a better missionary of God and a missionary for those around me.”