Parish: Holy Spirit Parish, Kimberly
Birth Date: October 8
Seminary: Pontifical North American College
Seminary Address:
00120 Vatican City State, Europe
Mailing Address: 609 Theresa Ct. Kimberly, WI 54136-2343


Are there any books that you love so much that you
have read them twice (or more)? I have read “The Lord
of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien twice, and I am ready to
read it again!

When you find yourself with a “free night,” what is
something you are likely to do?
I am likely to spend
some time with friends. Otherwise, I will read a book,
play guitar, or watch a movie.

What do you remember from your First Communion?
I remember that my First Communion was on April 26,
2003. I wore the same blue suit that my brother did
for his First Communion. While I do not remember
very much from the Mass, I remember having a great
celebration and receiving a lot of gifts. Looking back
now, I understand why we had such a big celebration!

Where is one of your favorite places to pray, and
what makes it special to you?
One of my favorite places
to pray is the Sacred Heart Chapel in the Holy Name of
Jesus House of Formation in Allouez. Even though I never
participated in the Kairos Year, that chapel is very special
to me. It is just the right size for personal prayer and
often smells of incense. There is a lot of beauty packed
into that chapel: the golden tabernacle, the Sacred and
Immaculate Heart statues, and the handmade woodwork
lift my mind and heart to God. Anytime I have the chance,
I stop to pray in the Sacred Heart Chapel.

What role has the Eucharist played in your
discernment of the priesthood?
The Eucharist played
a huge role in my discernment of the priesthood. Well
before I considered the priesthood, I loved the Eucharist. I
loved Jesus in the Eucharist. That being said, the first time
I really felt called to the priesthood, the Blessed Sacrament
was before me. After I experienced that call, I spent a lot of
time in prayer before the Eucharist to continue discerning
if the call was really from God. During my discernment
I attended daily Mass. Every day I heard the Eucharistic
prayer spoken on the lips of the priest. Every day I received
Jesus from the hands of a priest. The priesthood and the
Eucharist are absolutely inseparable. Thus, as I grew closer
to the Eucharist, I felt more drawn to the priesthood as
well. As I receive the sacrament of holy orders, I hope to
imitate Jesus in the Eucharist by giving myself completely
to God’s people each and every day.
If there was one thing you could communicate to the
faithful about the importance and role of the Eucharist
in our Catholic faith, what would it be? The one thing
that I would communicate to the faithful is that the
Eucharist is really Jesus. He is really and truly present in
the little host. Let’s unpack that …
As human persons we are made for relationship. From
the very moment of our existence, we are in relationship,
namely with our parents. We have families, and we make
friends. These relationships make us who we are. We
were created by God for relationship and, in particular,
for friendship with him. It is not easy to be in friendship
with someone if you cannot be with them. So, God
sent his Son to become man so that we could be better
friends with him. We read about the friends Jesus made
in the Gospels: Peter, James, John, Mary Magdalene,
and many more. After Jesus died and rose for his friends
(us!), he left us his real presence; he left us the Eucharist.
He gave us himself and his presence in the Eucharist.
Jesus desires nothing more than to be in relationship
with us. He wants to fulfill our longing for authentic
relationship, and he knows that is difficult to achieve
without real presence. So, he gave us his presence in
the Eucharist. At every Mass, we can become closer to
Jesus than almost any other person in our lives. We can
receive him into ourselves. This unique relationship with
Jesus in the Eucharist can transform our lives.

Which saint should people invoke for your vocation
and why?
lease invoke St. John Marie Vianney for
my vocation because he is the patron saint of diocesan
priests. His intercession will be powerful for me as I
receive the sacrament of holy orders.