Age: 24
Home Parish: St. Francis of Assis, Northville, NY
Seminary/Stage of Study: Mundelein Seminary/2nd Theology Degrees: B.A. in Religious Studies, Le Moyne College
Work Experience: Full-time Volunteer at Sarnelli House with Redemptorist Volunteer Ministries, Office assistant at Le Moyne College Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs;
Interests: singing/music, nature, calligraphy
Vocation Story: When I went to college, I decided to major in religious studies because religion and spirituality, and the questions they address, were the only things I could envision holding my interest for the rest of my life. While in college, I put any thoughts of the priesthood or religious life on the proverbial ‘back burner,’ even though these were things that had always appealed to me. I dated, toyed with the idea of pursuing a career in academia, lost my faith, found it again, saw it transformed through my various experiences, all to return to thoughts of ministry by my senior year. Not knowing what this might mean, I decided to take a couple of years to do full-time ministry as a volunteer. I went to Philadelphia to work with the poor and abandoned. It was through my experiences in Philadelphia that God brought me to the next step in my discernment process: the House of Discernment. After a year in the House of Discernment, my sense of my vocation deepened to the point where I saw the pursuit of the priesthood as the best path for me to walk.
Now, I have completed one full year at Mundelein Seminary and my understanding of this path toward priesthood has evolved so much. I have developed a much more mature view of adult Christian life, the sacrifices that it necessarily involves, and the way that my calling to a celibate life as a priest of Jesus Christ fits into God’s design for us all. Ironically, what I have learned about the priesthood in seminary has helped me identify more deeply with my married friends as I see the sacrifices they make to raise their families. I have come to see more clearly and in greater depth that ordained ministry really is the way in which I will fulfill God’s unique design for me as a Christian man.
