Parish: St. Agnes Parish, Green Bay
Birth Date: June 22
Seminary: Mundelein Seminary
Seminary Address:
1000 E. Maple Avenue
Mundelein IL 60060-1967

Intercessor: St. Peter the Apostle
After being to several confirmations
this summer, I have been
inspired to reconnect with him
as my confirmation saint. I
have no doubt he has played a
pivotal role in my vocation and
formation thus far, and that he
will continue to do so.

What is your favorite hobby?
Playing electric guitar, composing music, and building/tinkering with guitar
amplifiers and effects pedals. It is a solid outlet for creative energy, and I get
to make something truly unique.

What is your favorite liturgical season?
Each year, Christmas seems to be the liturgical season I look forward to the
most. While the Nativity of the Lord is always special, I greatly appreciate
all the special feasts and solemnities that come after, including St. John the
Evangelist, the Holy Innocents, the Epiphany, and the Baptism of the Lord.

Who is your confirmation saint? Why did you choose him?
St. Peter the Apostle. I picked him as my confirmation saint, because Jesus’
commission to Peter stood out to me: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church.” Nearing the end of high school, I saw many of my friends
fall away from the faith. I wanted to remain steadfast in my own faith, like a
rock, so one day I could rejoice when they came back.

Who taught you to pray?
If we are talking vocal prayer, it was a mix of my parents and my teachers at
what used to be Holy Cross School in Mishicot. However, if we are talking
about actually having a living and breathing relationship with Jesus Christ,
then it was not until my time at the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF) in the
summer of 2018. Who taught me? Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It took eight days
of silence, retreat, direction, trial and error, and patience before it finally clicked
that God makes prayer possible, not us. Our role is to be open to him.

What gives you the most joy at this point in your formation?
Proclaiming the word of God. This summer I had the privilege of being at two
parishes: St. Nicholas in Freedom and St. Edward the Confessor in Mackville.
During my time there, I frequently served as a lector. Though I did not expect
it, I found great joy in being able to proclaim the first and second readings
to the people during Mass. There was just something about putting myself
in the author’s shoes, especially St. Paul. I tried my best to give voice to their
sacred writing in a way which was clear, understandable, and faithful to what
they had written. This joy also spilled over into my daily tasks when I would
frequently quote bits and pieces of Scripture, sometimes to lighten the
mood, sometimes seriously, but always respectfully and with the awareness
that Scripture has real and effective power. You should try it out sometime!
Pay attention to what stands out to you in Scripture. Carry it with you,
remember it often, for it is truly the word of God.

How do you view a priest’s relationship to St. Joseph?
We often call Mary our mother, but how often do we call Joseph our father?
Is it because we already have a Father in heaven? Perhaps. It can be so
easy to downplay Joseph’s role as Jesus’ legal father and guardian, casting
him aside as just a stand-in for God the Father. However, what would have
happened if Joseph was not there? I am not sure, but it would have had quite
the negative impact on Jesus. While Jesus is fully God, he is also fully human.
As humans, we all need strong, tangible fathers in our lives to lovingly raise
us, protect us, instruct us, and be an example for us. Considering Joseph was
given this special and crucial role in Jesus’ life and did quite well at it, why
should we not seek the same fatherly aid from him?
For priests and seminarians, we especially need to have Joseph as our father.
The priest’s core identity is “alter Christus” or “another Christ.” When the
priest celebrates Mass or forgives sins, he acts in the very person of Christ.
The priest makes Christ present, and without Christ, none of this is possible.
Therefore, for a priest to grow in holiness, he must necessarily become more
and more like Christ, even to the point where the people can only see Jesus
in that priest. Joseph helped form Christ into who he was. He can do the
same for us. St. Joseph, pray for us!