He went from a student at Belen to a priest at the Jesuit school. It began with his abuela.

As a child, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School alumnus Julio Minsal-Ruiz remembers his grandmother Sara Cestero praying with him on a daily basis and joining her to feed the homeless.

It was these devotions and humanitarian efforts that inspired Minsal-Ruiz, 32, to join the Jesuits and pursue the priesthood.

Last month, Minsal-Ruiz was ordained at Miami’s historic Gesu Catholic Church, 118 NE Second St., where more than 50 priests and Minsal-Ruiz’s former teachers watched and celebrated his ordination.

“I am thankful that God chose him,” said Cestero, 90, who attended the Mass.

Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wenski celebrated the Mass along with Father Javier Vidal. During the Mass, all priest concelebrants laid their hands on Minsal-Ruiz to hand down their priestly rank.

Minsal-Ruiz, who teaches theology at his former school, recalls his grandmother reciting prayers holding a rosary. He also credits attending the all-male Jesuit school as an inspiration for becoming a priest.

“The seed of the vocation was planted at Belen,” he said. “When I left I wasn’t completely resolute, but I was thinking of priesthood by the time I left Belen. It was an attractive option. I saw the goodness of the life. Many good Jesuits surrounded me.”

Born in Puerto Rico, Minsal-Ruiz, an only child who was raised by his mother, graduated from Belen in 2005. He attended Xavier University, graduating with a bachelor’s of science in psychology and a bachelor’s of arts in philosophy. He earned a master’s degree n philosophical resources from Fordham University in 2013.

He entered the Society of Jesus in 2009, where he began his formation as a Jesuit in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Jesuits dedicate their lives to spreading the gospel.

“My grandmother had a respect for them (Jesuits) for their contribution and intellect,” he said. “Their formation is highly regarded. Since I was a kid, they were like superhero priests and in Belen I saw them in action.”

U.S. government teacher Patrick Collins, 70, said he was not surprised by Minsal-Ruiz devoting his life to God. Collins attended the ordination and has taught at Belen for 49 years.

“Looking back, I can see a level of maturity you don’t just get by seeing the student in class, but when you see the student outside the classroom such as the trips to Europe and the east coast of Florida. You get a chance to see him in a way that distinguishes him from the general grouping of teenagers.”

Minsal-Ruiz celebrated his first Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church, 12125 SW 107th Ave. He plans to continue teaching at Belen and to help those in need — just like his grandmother did in Puerto Rico.

“My goal is to live the priesthood,” he said. “They say that holding Masses and hearing confessions is how you grow to the needs of the people you serve spiritually. I am focused on being a helping hand to the people in Miami.”

The last Belen alumnus to be ordained was in 2011. The Jesuits founded El Colegio de Belen in 1854 in Havana.

In 1961, when Belen and all private schools were confiscated by the new political regime, the school was re-established in Miami. Today, the school has nearly 1,400 male students in grades 6 to 12.