Propaedeutic Year
Mount St. Mary's Seminary
Christendom College
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
What did you do prior to entering seminary?
I attended Christendom College and received a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy as well as a minor in liturgical music. I then worked at a machine shop as a project manager for a year.
What influenced your decision to apply for seminary entrance?
I wanted to discern marriage first, but I realized that a call from God isn’t something that you can just put on hold. After experiencing a special call from God at the Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Alabama, I realized that in order to be truly putting God first in my life I needed to follow the call I had been hearing and stop trying to distract myself from it.
Why do you want to be a priest?
I want to serve God’s people the way that Jesus did, through a life of self-sacrificial love and service. The priest is a frontline warrior on the spiritual battlefield, and I am inspired by the adventure and challenge that this vocation is. If God made me to be His priest, I trust He will guide me and fulfill me in it.
What are your favorite pastimes?
I love to be outdoors. I enjoy soccer, ultimate frisbee and ping pong, as well as hiking and rock climbing. I play the piano, and I’m always down for a good card or board game.
What is your favorite quote?
“This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:12-13)
Who is your favorite Saint and why?
I was born on the feast of St. George and have always had a special devotion to him. Besides the legend of the dragon, St. George is known for being a Christian Roman soldier who tore in half Diocletian’s edict to persecute Christians in front of the emperor’s face. He suffered a martyr’s death because he would rather serve God than the world.
What advice would you give to a young man thinking about the seminary?
Pursue your primary vocation to holiness first, and your secondary vocation will come naturally. As long as you end all of your prayers in discernment with “not my will, but Thy will be done Lord,” you do not need to fear making the ‘wrong’ choice; God will guide those who trust Him.
