Parish: St. Bernard Parish, Green Bay
Birth Date: May 17
Seminary: St. John Vianney College Seminary
Seminary Address:
2115 Summit Avenue,  Mail #5024, St. Paul, Minnesota 55105
Intercessor: St. Francis de Sales. He would
make a lot more sense if I went
to his namesake seminary, but
his writings have been showing
up here and there in various
areas of formation as if he’s
watching over it all. In light of
this, I ask for his intercession for
my vocation.

What is your favorite hobby?
My favorite hobby is yo-yoing. I keep in my car a foam-lined case filled with
lots of yo-yos of many different styles and skill levels.

What is your favorite liturgical season?
The Christmas season has always struck me as just a warm and peaceful time
for the Church, celebrating Jesus’ nativity, as if we join the Holy Family in the
manger scene. Plus, it is one of the couple times a year during which we get
an octave of feasting.

Who is your confirmation saint? Why did you choose him?
My confirmation patron is St. Louis de Montfort. I first read about him (and from
him) in preparation for my consecration to Mary in high school, which really
boosted my faith and devotion. I chose him because he was a holy priest, a
scholar, and a pretty huge fan of Mary, three accolades I was seeking (and still
continue to seek) for myself with the help of the Holy Spirit’s gifts at confirmation.

Who taught you to pray?
My parish youth group played an important role in my development of a
prayer life. At weekly events, we always concluded with Night Prayer, which
introduced me to the Liturgy of the Hours. On summer pilgrimages, we
would keep a regiment of Mass, adoration, and rosaries to which I had not
been accustomed to at home. In these experiences, too, I heard witness
talks from my older peers about their relationships with God and what prayer
means to them. The youth group provided a suitable environment and
friends to inspire my growth in prayer.

What gives you the most joy at this point in your formation?
One of the favorite psalms amongst the seminarians is Psalm 133:1, “How
good and how pleasant it is, when brothers live in unity.” The joy of having
these brothers on the same wild quest of priestly formation is unmatched, and
it manifests itself in varied ways throughout the day. In the chapel, the common
voice of 100 men chanting the Psalms and hymns is beautiful and moving. In
the classroom, goofy philosophical discussions and debates about nonsense
bring levity to the stress of schoolwork. On campus, basketball and ultimate
frisbee tournaments push each of us in healthy competition and teamwork.
Throughout all of it, the men we call brothers truly become so, to whom we
can go to with any struggle, for whom we always care, and with whom we grow
together. The St. John Vianney Seminary building is quickly being outgrown in
its age, so beyond our fraternal closeness, we are also pretty close, literally.

How do you view a priest’s relationship to St. Joseph?
The Lord called St. Joseph to be the husband to the Immaculate Virgin Mary
and to be the foster father of the God-Man, Messiah. And who was Joseph?
An average Jewish carpenter from the line of David. It is easy to sympathize
with him that among the Holy Family, Joseph could have felt intimidated and
unworthy, but in his faith and humility, he trusted in the Lord’s plan for him.
I like to think of the priest in a similar position. An average Catholic man is
called by the Lord to be a priest, an “alter Christus,” another Christ, and even
to, in the sacraments, act in “persona Christi,” in the [very] person of Christ.
That can also sound like a pretty intimidating duty of which no man is worthy.
However, the Lord calls men to it, to serve at his altar despite their weakness
and unworthiness, and these men will do great to humbly trust the Lord just
as St. Joseph did. And that is where the priest’s relationship with St. Joseph
manifests: a patronage of humility and the bastion of faith that the man
needs from the man who knew it best, a foster father to walk with the priest
in the holy duty to which the Lord has called him. St. Joseph, pray for us!