By Jessica Easthope
Deacon Elvin Torres steps up to plate and hits another home run.
“I think baseball it runs in Dominican blood,” he said.
He’s happiest when he’s doing what he loves. You can find him sometimes in a uniform – and other times, he’s wearing vestments.
Growing up, the Dominican Republic was home base: faith, family and of course, baseball, were all he ever needed.
“Growing up taking all the socks and putting them together and making a ball,” said Deacon Elvin. “Sometimes you don’t have money for a ball, and sometimes when the orange fell from the tree, you’d take it and hit it with your hand.”
His family is in New York City visiting and cheering him on through everything. His parents are devout Catholics, but as he got older, his faith deepened and he began to see priests as superstars.
“Why he did all the things he did at the altar, why he talk and everyone has to listen to him,” the deacon said. “I didn’t realize at that time, God was talking to me through the priest, because I was like ‘I want to be like him,’” he said.
But once he was old enough to realize priests don’t get married, he was out. He wanted instead to play the position of a family man.
“I had a friend and we became boyfriend and girlfriend, one and a half two years, it was a beautiful relationship,” Deacon Elvin said. “But I didn’t feel complete, I was missing something.”
Then life threw him a curveball.
He entered the seminary, earned degrees in philosophy and theology that brought him to the Diocese of Brooklyn. His home parish of St. Rita in East New York took him in 5 years ago and now he’s ready for the big leagues.
On his seminary team “The Relics,” Deacon Elvin says whether he was at Mass or at bat, God was always with him and every hit and the rare strike out has led him here.
“God is everywhere, if you are playing, praying, working God is there,” he said.
He can still remember every home run and the feeling that came with them – but he says nothing compares to this.
“I have never been so happy,” he said. “And the ordination it will no doubt be the best day of my life for sure.”