HOLY NAME OF JESUS
HOUSE OF FORMATION
2589 S. Webster Ave.
Green Bay, WI 54301-2951

Kairos Year

BIRTHDAY
June 15

PARISH
St. Therese Parish, East Krok,
Pilsen and Stangelville

INTERCESSOR
St. Francis Xavier. As a Jesuit
missionary and evangelist,
his great zeal for Christ and
willingness to follow the will of
God is something that I wish to
emulate during my vocational
discernment.

What is your favorite hobby?
There is nothing that I love more than sitting down with a good cup of coffee,
a riveting book, and lively conversation.

What is your favorite liturgical season?
Of all the liturgical seasons our Church celebrates, there is something about
Advent that I cannot help but get excited for. It packs so much into four
weeks, including some of the best music our Church has to offer, as well as
periods for reflection.

Who is your confirmation saint? Why did you choose him?
My confirmation saint is St. John the Evangelist, the apostle and disciple of
Jesus. John’s Gospel is a source of inspiration for me in prayer as he had the
courage to stand on Calvary and remain faithful even when it was difficult. John
penned the words which have been my motto and comfort in dark times: “God
is love and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.”

Who taught you to pray?
The saints really were my mentors and teachers in growing my garden of
prayer. Augustine, John Paul II, Francis, and Francis Xavier have all given me
a different dimension to my prayer life. Augustine taught me to pray with my
whole heart and to rest in God. John Paul II prayed unceasingly, even when
he was weak and busy with so many things. Francis showed me how to pray
with joy and in union with all of God’s creation. Francis Xavier taught me the
greatest lesson; to allow prayer to lead me wherever God desires.

What gives you the most joy at this point in your formation?
I have found that it is often the little things that mean the most. Early
morning sunrises are a gentle reminder of the beauty of creation.
Oftentimes, formation can be intense and taking time for prayer and
growing in relationship can be difficult or nearly impossible. Prayer with the
other seminarians in early morning is a little joy for me, especially to build
community with these men as we journey in formation together. It is also a
great joy to build community with other priests in the diocese.
Whether in conversation with the new priests or meeting others along the
way, I look forward to learning from those who came before. As I continue
in these initial formative months, I look forward to disconnecting from the
immense amount of social media and technology. Disconnecting from that
part of the world is another reminder to truly value the little things in life.

How do you view a priest’s relationship to St. Joseph?
The first point of relationship for the priest and St. Joseph, in my opinion,
is the role of fatherhood. It has been continually impressed upon me that
before the priest can spiritually care for his people, personally or through the
sacraments, he must grow in the qualities of a great father. Each priest in his
parish is charged to take care of those around him, and St. Joseph can be a
great role model in this endeavor.
St. Joseph is the protector of the Holy Family, who spent his entire life in
service of Jesus and Mary. The priest models himself after this saint, offering
the Mass for his people and providing Jesus Christ to others, the Bread of
Life. The quiet humility of St. Joseph is also a virtue worthy of contemplation
for the priest. As the Bible contains no recorded words of Joseph, the actions
of a man who defied conventional wisdom to bring Mary into his home and
trusted in the Lord is something to emulate. St. Joseph is the earthly man
every priest must strive to emulate and look to for guidance before they
continue in the task of modeling their lives after Jesus Christ, the High Priest.