Year of Birth: 1982
Home Parish: St Mel, Fair Oaks, CA
High School: Oakmont, Roseville CA
University: Sierra College
Seminary: Mount Angel Seminary
Year in Seminary: First Year Theology
Mailing Address: 1 Abbey Drive, St Benedict OR 97373
Favorite Saint: If you have 1 favorite saint, you don’t know enough of them.

Thoughts on Priesthood:

After Our Lord’s Passion and the Most Holy Eucharist I think the priesthood is God’s most precious gift to man. If it were not for the priest the Sacraments, the very channels of grace which we need for everlasting life would not be available to us. Looking at the priesthood you see so many things but to sum it up briefly you see Christ. The Priest is the hands of Christ; it is not his hand that absolves us of our sins but Christ’s. It is not he who gives power to the Words of Consecration but Christ. You see sacrifice, sacrifice driven by that supreme sacrifice, Calvary. In the priesthood we see love, commitment and many, many more things than we can ever describe or contemplate.

Why I Want to Be a Priest:

I think the question should be “Why wouldn’t I want to be a priest?” I have been blessed by the example of many good priests all of whom have inspired me and in some sense fostered my vocation. There are two poems “Thou Art a Priest Forever” and “The Beautiful Hands of a Priest” these describe well why I want to be a priest. In frequent reception of the Sacraments I have come to know and the love and mercy of God and to love God. It is as a priest I wish to bring man to God and God to man.

How did your family and friends react when you made that decision? Are they supportive now?

It was a mixed reaction, for the most part everybody was supportive, but everybody had a reservation. As I have progressed in my priestly formation they have become 110% supportive of my vocation. I have made every attempt to live my vocation with family so it is not foreign to them, let them see and share my joys, sorrows and dreams. Some of my friends offered feeble reasons for why I shouldn’t go to the seminary but as they thought about it they realized it was a good reason they were just looking at it from the wrong way.

What is the hardest part of being in the seminary?

The hardest part I think is how much we have to do. It is not like going to school or work and then your day is done; everything is interconnected and one has to work hard to have balance. The other thing is being away from family and friends.

What is the best part?

Everything: the brotherhood, the common life of prayer, work and recreation, the joys, growing in holiness, growing as a person, serving the People of God in our ministries. It is a great life, a wonderful; one is privileged to live with like minded men going about the same mission eager to support one another,

Who/what influenced your decision to enter the seminary?

Who? Fathers Doheny, LaBranch, Snyder, McSweeny, the list of priests could go on and on. I am blessed to have the support of a great parish community which helped me in the early days of discernment and walked with me. I think the need of men willing to make the sacrifice forced me to look at this long and hard. My family certainly was a great influence. But when it is all said and done I believe it was the encouragement of so many good and holy priests, those who helped get in the seminary, the priest who told me at 17 I should be a priest. I must say the late Fr Richard Doheny had a strong influence, most likely the strongest. If ever there was a pastor who loved the Church and his flock it was he.

Hobbies & Interests:

Baseball, reading, fishing, gardening, “hanging out” Cooking, history, movies, music, theater, other sports to various degrees

What advice would you give to a young man thinking about the priesthood?

Become best friends with God. Go to Mass as often as you can, Confession regularly with the same priest if possible. Make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, everyday if possible, pray the Rosary, and find a priest you can talk to. Spend time in prayer getting to know the One whom you believe to be calling you. Lastly, don’t be afraid, the whole process is about getting to know God, yourself, His will for your life whatever happens you can’t lose. If you have the courage to ask a girl out for a date, you have the courage to discern the priesthood.

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