Age: 27
Home Parish: Our Lady of the Assumption, Rotterdam, NY
Seminary / Stage of Study: St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, MD, Third Theology
Degree(s): Siena College, BA in Religious Studies
Interests: Rollerblading, Bike riding, Hanging out with friends and family, Movies, Reading
Vocation Story: As a youngster, I thoroughly enjoyed my well-worn children’s bible storybook. I read it cover to cover repeatedly, especially loving the Old Testament stories about Noah’s ark and Moses and the burning bush. Catechism classes were also a source of enjoyment for me, as I learned more and more about our amazing faith. When it came time to decide on a major for college, I chose to attend Siena College as a religious studies major to learn about how people throughout the world, including Catholics, develop traditions and stories that tell us about what religious experiences mean to them. I had thought about the possibility of priesthood throughout most of my life, so throughout college, I participated in a discernment group offered by the diocese. Here, other interested men gathered monthly to have informal, open and honest dialogue about various aspects of priesthood. The discernment group was a tremendous help to me in my decision to apply as a seminarian and further discern my call to priesthood.
