Carolina Cordova was born and raised in Venezuela. She’s a wife to Federico Jost, and a mother to Valentina (16), Andres (12), Nicolas (9), and Lucas (6). She currently resides in Rye, New York with her family, and was kind enough to share her beautiful life story full of unplanned events and divine plot twists that guided her and her family through a reversion to the faith.
This virtual interview was the first time I spoke with Carolina. Despite the screen between us, it was evident within the first few seconds that Carolina carries a special light. She’s sincere and radiant, smiling throughout the entire interview and quick to find the humor in the mysterious and sometimes daunting ways God has called her to be a disciple. Carolina is the perfect example of how the Lord will scatter blessings into every facet of our lives when we continuously decide to say “yes” to His will.
Carolina began her story with her family moving to Rye, New York in 2017. At this time, they attended mass only when it fit into their schedule, in between soccer games and other obligations. Carolina described herself as a cradle Catholic. She attended an Opus Dei, all-girls, Catholic high school in Venezuela. In college she deepened her faith, but more or less floated in and out of living her faith intentionally.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Carolina experienced one of the first calls back to the faith when her daughter, a fifth grader at the time, was exposed to topics in school that left Carolina concerned for how to educate her children in an increasingly secular world. She realized that being away from the Church had allowed her own values to become blurred, and felt an intense pull to seek the Lord and relearn His teachings, to better guide her children. She began to immerse herself back into the Church by joining Walking with Purpose and looking into various courses.
About a year later, through a serendipitous series of events, Carolina was introduced to the Legionary priests through a friend of hers. During a birthday celebration, Carolina’s friend planted a large Venezuelan flag outside of her home. Father Jorge Obregón, who is originally from Mexico but worked in Venezuela, stumbled upon the flag in her yard during a walk and decided to introduce himself. Later, when Carolina proposed starting a course to further understand her Catholic values, her friend informed her of her encounter with the friendly priest. Soon enough, Carolina was introduced to Father Jorge, whom she credits with bringing her back to the faith and changing her life.
Out of a strong thirst for the Lord, Carolina was inspired to work with Father Jorge whenever she could, helping him with various RC projects and attending retreats and events that he recommended to her throughout their friendship. She helped Fr. with one retreat in particular, a healing retreat, that stands out to her as a time when she felt the Holy Spirit’s gentle, yet unmistakable touch. Prior to the weekend, Carolina warned father that although she was happy to offer her help with the retreat, she didn’t think she had any particular wounds to heal. Father Jorge chuckled and urged her to attend and help anyway. Right away, the Holy Spirit stirred in her heart, and during the first adoration, Carolina was overwhelmed with emotion. She shared that in that moment, “I actually felt God’s voice telling me it was time to come home”.
Soon after, in 2022, a friend from a previous retreat invited Carolina to participate in a “discernment” course. Carolina assumed the course would be related to the Thirteen Rules of Discernment, as she had recently learned about this topic. By yet another divine turn of events, Carolina attended the course only to realize it was actually a course designed to aid in the discernment of joining Regnum Christi. Although she was taken by surprise, and in a place where she did not feel worthy of God’s unconditional love, she shared, “I felt this thirst to know more about RC, I couldn’t get enough. It was when I met my sisters in Christ…When I experienced the community, the sisterhood, is when I decided to join”. This providential course took place in 2022, and by January 2023, Carolina became a member of RC.
Along the same timeline of her journey back to the faith, Carolina and her husband were struggling with a long battle with Venezuelan lawyers for an annulment. The couple had been civilly married about 17 years prior, but because they were waiting for an annulment on Federico’s prior marriage, they were unable to marry in the Church. Despite applying for the annulment during their engagement 17 years period, and due to the volatile political climate in Venezuela, the process was a waiting game with no advances made. It was not until January of 2022 that their lawyers contacted them out of the blue to advise them that they had finally been accepted. The couple was in complete disbelief, and Federico made his way to Venezuela for the papers, grateful for their answered prayers. In 2023, the couple got married. Carolina shared that the grace of finally being able to be married in the Church, surrounded by their family, friends, and legionary priests, made the wait worth it.
“It took us 17 years to get married, but it was a gift. I feel like now we really knew what we were getting into, and my kids were able to be a part of it. My daughter was my maid of honor, my oldest son read the first reading, and the two little ones brought the rings…it was just an incredible moment”.
Along with the blessing of marriage, Carolina was finally able to go to confession after seventeen years, and most importantly, receive the Eucharist. Their children received communion without their parents for their whole lives. The next day after the couple was married and they attended mass together, her youngest son told Carolina that he was so excited to finally receive communion as a family. This special moment was one of the most touching anecdotes Carolina shared with me.
Currently, Carolina is a parishioner of the Church of the Resurrection in Rye, NY, and participates in many ministries across Regnum Christi and her parish. Caroline was a CCD teacher for years, until her daughter was old enough to teach and take over for her. She regularly attends Walking With Purpose, and leads her own Encounter team. Carolina started her Encounter group with Father Jorge and is now the leader of the group which has been together for a year and a half and is composed of Spanish speakers from various countries.
Additionally, she is a ECYD coordinator, currently organizing the ECYD Professional Development Week which will take place this coming February. Through ECYD, Carolina has attended the last two high school conferences, one of which took place in Rome during the Jubilee Year. Her husband also helps with the boys middle school chapter that their son is a part of. She laughed, “it’s like a family ministry”, and shared, “I’ve just seen my daughter bloom through ECYD and all the activities she’s been doing for her faith, it’s been so beautiful”. Carolina is also currently pursuing her Spiritual Direction certification online at Divine Mercy University. “I started it and realized that God needs different types of people…different personalities to work for him. I do feel it has helped me be more open, and listen to my kids in a more compassionate way.” Carolina is expected to complete her Spiritual Direction course in July of 2026.
When I asked Carolina about her various roles, she shared that she didn’t necessarily feel prepared for any of them, but she knew that if God was calling her to do something, she would be given the graces she needs to step into that role. She commented, “Sometimes we don’t feel prepared, God gives us things, and we have to know how to trust Him. We have to trust that He works through us”.
Carolina’s story is one of unexpected twists and turns. In the midst of God calling her home and challenging her to new roles within RC and her parish, she remains a humble servant to Him. Her faith journey is an inspiring one of always saying “yes”, and placing full trust in the Lord, that He will equip her with the necessary tools for whatever He asks of her.
