Father Goyo Hidalgo of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles often shares stories on social media about his various experiences as a priest.

Over the last few years, the priest’s stories generated viral attention. He often encourages his nearly 90,000 Twitter followers to pray, be patient, and find joy in small things. He also often shares his childhood memories, especially stories of his Catholic parents.

More recently, the Spain native published a book detailing his return to the Catholic faith after falling away in college. Father Goyo grew up in a devout Catholic family, but fell away and lied to his mother about it.

One morning, however, after partying all night in Los Angeles, he heard a reflection from St. John Paul II’s funeral Mass, which reiterated the famous words, “Be not afraid!”

Long story short, he later reconciled with his mother and reverted to the faith. He was ordained a priest in June 2016.

Father Goyo’s Prodigal Prayer

Father Goyo tweeted a photo of a prayer entitled, “Prayer of a Prodigal,” a prayer he recited alone in the chapel during his “journey back home” to the Church.

He writes, “In my journey back home, as a prodigal son, I prayed this prayer many times, as I sat alone in a chapel. This is another prayer from my book.”

As of this writing, the tweet generated approximately 31,000 views.

Here’s his prayer below:

Here’s the text of the prayer:

Prayer of a Prodigal:

Lord,
Give me the strength to take the next step, to follow the way that leads to you
In my daily circumstances.
Even when things don’t go the way I want,
Even when I don’t know how to talk to you,
Even when I don’t feel you,
Even when I am convinced you are not there,
And especially when I am about to give up.
With your strength, I know I can
Find my way to you.
And loving you,
I can hope and trust that you will always heal
What is so broken in me.
Amen.

Father Goyo Hidalgo: “Don’t Hesitate…God is waiting and He wants to forgive you.”

On April 16, 2023, Father Goyo again emphasized the importance of God’s mercy. He said “don’t hesitate” returning to God.  He’s waiting for you.

Here’s his tweet below:

“I am who I am today because of the Mercy of God,” Father Goyo said.

“The mercy of God will always be there, for free. The Prodigal Son took that mercy and came back home. So if you are thinking about your journey to God, don’t hesitate. He is waiting and He wants to forgive you.”

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[See also: A Priest’s Hopeful Message for Parents of Fallen-Away Catholics: “Be Patient…God is Waiting”]

[See also: “The Best Weapon”: Priest Tells 7 Personal Life Stories About the Power of Praying the Rosary]

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