Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Propaedeutic Stage
Virginia Tech
From St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish
What did you do prior to entering seminary?
I taught History to Freshman and Sophomore students and coached girls’ soccer at St. John Paul the Great High School. For the Freshmen, I taught World History, a lot of Rome, and for the Sophomores, I taught European History.
What influenced your decision to apply for seminary entrance?
One of the key things that helped me to make the ultimate decision to apply was a lot of prayer and working at St. John Paul the Great. I had a substantial answer to prayer when one of the Dominican sisters quoted St. Therese Lisieux by saying, “if you ever feel as if Christ is asleep in your boat; it is because he trusts you.” I had been meditating on the Storm on the Sea and that quote had opened so much. In a complementary way, teaching at the school opened me up to a deeper love and service, and sacrifice that eased the decision and gave me peace the moment I said yes to the call.
Why do you want to be a priest?
There are a few reasons why I want to be a priest, but the main two are a total friendship with the Lord and the ability to serve the people entrusted to me. I have always had a desire to help people regardless of the circumstance and through a lot of prayer and conversations with others, the priesthood became more open to me. I was very hesitant at first, but as I continued to discern the path, the calling grew louder and clearer.
What are your favorite pastimes?
Some of my favorite pastimes include soccer, running, reading, and being outside. Most of my life I have spent my time outdoors from fishing, hunting, and exploring the great outdoors. In high school, I picked up soccer and running and they became new loves. I ran and played soccer all through high school, college, and post college. A lot of the reading I do is philosophy and biographies.
What is your favorite quote?
“Thou awakest us to delight in Thy praise; for Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it repose in Thee… Oh! that I might repose on Thee! Oh! that Thou wouldest enter into my heart, and inebriate it, that I may forget my ills, and embrace Thee, my sole good!” (The Confessions - St. Augustine)
Who is your favorite Saint and why?
My two favorite saints would be St. Francis and St. Augustine. The reason why is because I see myself in their lives. Struggles in life and the wisdom from the Church leading to a conversion. Having to sacrifice greatly for others and for the Church, but also not losing zeal. Both Francis and Augustine were fiery people; they went after heretics and defended the Church, lived an ascetic life and were fully devoted to the Lord. This zeal for Christ was so bright, they did not sit on the sidelines but went out serving others and defending Christ’s teachings. I closely look to them, Augustine for the struggle and intellectualism and Francis for the zeal and service.
What advice would you give to a young man thinking about the seminary?
The advice I would give is to act. Prayer ought to lead to an end—namely Christ. Therefore, we are called to follow, which means we should act. Go on a retreat, talk with the vocations director, talk with friends and family, but act. It may be frightening, but this is where Christ is. He is in the storm ready to calm it, but also to meet you there. He will guide you, He will help you, He is with you. He calls you friend so trust in the Lord because He trusts in you.
