SEMINARY
St. Francis de Sales Seminary
3257 S. Lake Drive
St. Francis, WI 53235-3702

Are there any books that you love so much that you
have read them twice (or more)?

I have read through
“The Chronicles of Narnia” twice, and I would like to
read “Les Misérables” again at some point.
When you find yourself with a “free night,” what is
something you are likely to do? My family really enjoys
watching movies, so I would probably do that.

What do you remember from your First Communion?

To be honest I really don’t remember anything from
my First Communion, other than wearing a suit for the
first time. What I do remember is counting the number
of times I had received the Eucharist after my First
Communion: “That was my Second Communion! That
was my Third Communion!”

Where is one of your favorite places to pray, and what
makes it special to you?

I have a couple special prayer
places: the adoration chapel at SS. Peter & Paul, St.
Norbert Abbey, the Denmark Carmel, CYE, and in front
of the crucifix at St. John the Baptist Parish in Howard.
My favorite place, however, is in my room before bed.
There is something so sacred and intimate about those
moments when you retire for the night, and it is just you
and God. Usually, there is little said and little to be said.
No profound thoughts or anything special. I can simply
be a tired man before his loving Father.

What role has the Eucharist played in your discernment
of the priesthood?

Eucharistic Adoration during this
past year has been critical in my discernment. When I
entered seminary, I saw God much like a taskmaster or a
schoolteacher. My heart was filled with sentiments like,
“Just give me the assignment, God. I will get it done,
and we will be good to go. You will be pleased.” But the
Eucharist flies in the face of that thinking. The Eucharist
is Jesus, Emmanuel, “God with us.” It is a living icon
of God’s desire to commune with us and to be loved
by us. Consequently, after time spent before him in
the Blessed Sacrament, I started to realize God is not
trying to get something out of us. Vocation is more of an
opening of the heart towards something and not merely
an assignment to be completed. This has taken a lot of
the pressure out of discernment, and it has given me the
freedom to joyfully consider how I want to give of myself
to God.

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?

What do each of the sacraments accomplish? For most
of the sacraments, the answer is observable to some
extent. Baptism initiates us into the Church. Confession
unburdens us from guilt. Anointing strengthens and
heals us. But what of the Eucharist? What does it do?
The Eucharist is unique. While the other sacraments
have some tangible outcome, the effects of the Eucharist
can seem veiled, if not illusory. The Catechism of the
Catholic Church states that it is the “source and summit
of the Christian life,” yet we ask, “What happens now,
Lord? Is this really doing anything?” The Eucharist, it can
seem, does not accomplish anything.
But that’s precisely the point. The Eucharist is not
principally about “accomplishing” things because it is
itself the accomplishment of all things. It is the sacrifice of
Calvary before us. It is the Lord’s body laid down for the
Church. It is the relationship of man to God, mediated
by the high priest Jesus Christ. All other graces flow
from that relationship, not the least of which is eternal
life. In essence, the Eucharist is a reality so simple and
so foundational — God’s presence among men — that
we just miss it.
It behooves us, therefore, to approach the Eucharist
not searching for outcomes, but with simple faith.
With difficulties … sure. With questions, of course, but
nonetheless with simple trust that Jesus is present and
active. When the minister says, “The Body of Christ,” we
should truly respond with “Amen” — Let it be so — I do
believe.

Which saint should people invoke for your vocation
and why?

St. Peter. Peter is the quintessential example
of a feeble man who, overcome by grace, laid down his
life for the Church. Please pray that I open my heart to
God’s grace like Peter did.