Parish: St. Agnes Parish, Green Bay
Birthday: September 11
Seminary: St. Francis de Sales Seminary
Seminary Address: 3257 S. Lake Drive, St. Francis, WI 53235-3702


What kinds of toppings do you like on your pizza?
I am happy with anything short of pineapple and anchovies.

What is one skill people would be surprised you have?
During my parish assignment this past summer, there was a very generous family that took me to a sportsman’s club to shoot clay pigeons. Even to my surprise, I did pretty well considering it was my first time. I got 41 out of 50 targets.

If you had a talk show, who would be your first guest?
I suppose that would be influenced by what sort of talk show I had. Seeing as I am not really into celebrities and don’t pay much attention to sports, my first guest would have to be someone from the world of either politics or the Church. I doubt that I would be able to call upon someone this influential to seek an audience with, but Pope Francis would be a great first interview.

What is your favorite line from a Eucharistic prayer?
I know for certain the line that most often comes to me and that I probably like the most, comes from Eucharistic Prayer II: “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall, so that they may become for us the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” The entire Mass is an offering being made to God the Father, with the Eucharist which is Jesus. But this line from Eucharistic Prayer II gives a powerful reminder of the Holy Spirit’s action in the Mass with beautiful imagery.

How would you advise someone who wanted to deepen their love of the Eucharist?
What is the Eucharist? It is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. When we wish to deepen our love for the Eucharist, we are really trying to have a deeper relationship with Jesus himself. Just like any other relationship with a person that you would like to know better, you have to spend more time with them. There is just no substitute. Relationships that we have with friends and family that tend to die out over the years are those we tend not to put effort into maintaining, such as not calling or seeing them on a regular basis. We know from the shutdowns surrounding COVID-19 how much of a strain was put on our relationships simply because we could not physically be with others. Go and physically be with Jesus. Find time to go to adoration at your parish or a 24-hour adoration chapel. It is very good to spend much of that time in silence, paying close attention to what Jesus wishes to put on your heart.

When you envision yourself celebrating Mass one day as a priest, what do you imagine will be going through your mind and heart?
Even though this is a long day in the future, I imagine that when celebrating my first Mass, I will be looking a lot at the past. Thinking about the long road that finally brought me to this point and how God was present to me in so many different ways along the journey. I believe it will give me a great sense of gratitude. It will also be a very sobering experience to be one of those called to stand in the person of Christ. I also picture myself offering my first Mass for all of my loved ones, both living and deceased, being able to offer the greatest prayer we have in the Church for those who have meant so much to me.

There is a really good video called “The Veil Removed” that is an awesome visualization of the cloud of saints and angels that are present at Mass. Picturing that while participating in the Mass will be quite moving. I also imagine that I will be pretty nervous and trying my best to remember everything I learned about celebrating the Mass and making sure I am doing it correctly. I suspect it will be a truly humbling experience.

Which saint should people invoke for your vocation?
St. Anthony of Padua. He has been present at many times and in many ways since the very beginning of my discernment, by both finding lost things and finding me when I have been lost.