 He was created a deacon on September 22, 1922, and ordained a priest a few months later, on December 23, at the age of twenty-one, after being granted a dispensation due to his exceedingly young age.He celebrated his first public mass on January 5, 1923.Toribio's ministry was characterized by a heavy emphasis on catechesis to the poor, as well as the centrality of the eucharist to Christian life.