Parish: St. Therese Parish, Appleton
Birth Date: June 24
Seminary: St. Francis de Sales Seminary
Seminary Address:
3257 S. Lake Drive
St. Francis, WI 53235-3702

Theology I

Intercessor: St. Thérèse of Lisieux, because it is my home parish and because I wish to imitate her “Little Way.”

What is your favorite hobby?
My new favorite hobby is to go fishing with a good friend because it provides
a simple, relaxing atmosphere to have good conversations.

What is your favorite liturgical season?
Lent is my favorite liturgical season because it intentionally prepares me to
enter more fully into the paschal mystery while giving me a greater opportunity
to conform my life to Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Who is your confirmation saint? Why did you choose him?
Unfortunately in my home country of Nicaragua, the beautiful tradition of
choosing a confirmation saint is not practiced. If I had the opportunity to
choose one, it would have been St. Francis of Assisi because of his simplicity
of life, the transforming work of his religious order, and the particular
devotion of my family to him.

Who taught you to pray?
Initially, my mother taught me how to pray. I remember looking at my mom every
night as she did her devotional prayers. She would then hold my right hand to
teach me to do the sign of the cross followed by the recitation of the Our Father
and the Hail Mary. Once I began primary school, my religion teachers continued
enriching my prayer life by teaching me the foundational prayers of our Catholic
tradition. In recent years, the charismatic renewal movement and the college
seminary I attended have deepened my life of prayer.

What gives you the most joy at this point in your formation?
Frequently spending time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is what gives
me the most joy at this point in my formation. As Jesus becomes the most
important person in my life, making short visits to him throughout the day has
become my greatest delight this past year of seminary formation. Being with
him, receiving his love, learning from him, and finding in him a true friend, my
heart rejoices to the point that this joy has become one of the spiritual signs
which indicate to me that God is calling me to be a priest.
While the joy that I experience from being in his presence does not
necessarily entail experiencing deep spiritual consolations all the time, it
does involve a personal awareness that no matter how I am feeling or how
my day is going, his love for me never changes. Jesus is always delighted
that I come to him despite my changeable moods. It is my joy to know that
Jesus rejoices to have me before him.

How do you view a priest’s relationship to St. Joseph?
My view of a priest’s relationship to St. Joseph is twofold: as a spiritual father
and chaste husband. As we know, St. Joseph was given the gift and role to
be Jesus’ earthly father. St. Joseph’s virtuous life informed the humanity of
Jesus. Similarly, a priest is called to be a spiritual father to all his parishioners.
A holy, virtuous priest not only becomes involved with the earthly affairs of
his spiritual children, but more importantly, he becomes a sacrificial father
who lays down his life for the salvation of souls. As a chaste husband to
the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph is a model to priests in their spousal
relationship with the Church. Loving, respecting, and protecting the Church
as St. Joseph loved, respected, and protected Mary is an essential element of
the priestly character.
In light of this, a priest has much to learn from St. Joseph. He, as the first
spiritual father and chaste husband, becomes a foundational source from
which priests can deepen their understanding of what it means to be a
spiritual father and a chaste husband to conform their lives to Jesus Christ,
the High Priest. Asking for St. Joseph’s intercession and striving to imitate his
life of virtue are key elements in a priest’s relationship with St. Joseph.