Parish: St. Paul Parish, Combined Locks
Birth Date: June 6
Seminary: Pontifical North American College 
00120 Vatican City State Europe
Mailing Address:
127 Parkway Drive
Combined Locks, WI
54113-1265

Which saint should people invoke for your vocation?
St. Augustine of Hippo. His sermons and other writings have taught me many things, and I desire to learn from St. Augustine to love God and others more deeply with a burning, zealous heart.

Coffee or tea?
Coffee for sure. My friend went to get coffee before a theater production in high school, and I spontaneously asked for black coffee. I have been drinking it ever since.

If Jesus drove a vehicle during his public ministry, what
would it be?
I do not think Jesus himself would have driven. He would have
had one of the disciples driving the Popemobile. That way when
Jesus gave the authority to Peter as his vicar on earth, he could
have also given Peter the Popemobile.
What is your ideal way to spend the Lord’s Day?
I love waking up when the sun is rising, having a cup of coffee,
and praying with the daily readings and the Office of Readings
before Mass. After Mass, I would have brunch and then a brief
nap. I would spend the rest of the day reading, praying, and
spending time with family or friends.

If you could celebrate Mass anywhere in the world, where
would you and why?
I would love to celebrate Mass in a mountaintop chapel. Mountains
are so majestic and awe-inspiring to me, and the experience
of being on top of a mountain reminds me of the many people
from the Old Testament who went up mountains to encounter the
Lord God. Even Jesus went up to the mountaintop many times
to pray, to be transfigured, to suffer and die, and to ascend to
heaven. Standing on such an exalted place puts my smallness into
perspective, while also reminding me of the intimate care that God
has for me and all his creation.

What spiritual book or author has most influenced your
journey of discipleship?
I remember reading “Mother Teresa’s Secret Fire” at the end of
my time in college. Her life was vaguely familiar to me, but as I
began reading, I was captured by how strongly Mother Teresa’s
life radiated the love of God and a spirit of deep prayer. The
account of her great trust in God moved me to pray and go
to Confession more frequently. At the beginning of seminary,
I was given the book “I Thirst: 40 Days with Mother Teresa.” I
remember reading it over the 40 days leading up to her feast
day on September 5. Mother Teresa’s writings in this small book
helped increase my love and devotion for the Eucharist and for
the mystery of Christ’s saving work on the Cross.
Most recently, I read “Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light,” the
personal writings of Mother Teresa. When I read her words, I am
filled with encouragement, love for Jesus in the Eucharist and
in my brothers and sisters, and sorrow for my sins.

How is the Eucharist meant to foster unity in the Church?
In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul says that the Body
of Christ is one just as the Eucharistic bread we eat is one.
Therefore, everyone who participates in the celebration of the
Eucharist is made one in Christ. St. Paul assures us that through
our faithful participation, we truly are united more closely with
God and our fellow Christians.
There is a prayer from an ancient document of the teaching of
the Lord Jesus from the Twelve Apostles, called the Didache,
which says, “As grain once scattered on the hillside is in this
broken bread made one, so from all lands thy Church be
gathered into thy kingdom by thy Son.” What a great expression
of the way in which we, like the grains, are gathered from the
world into the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit forms us in the
furnace of Divine Love.
The Eucharist is not merely a symbol of unity; it truly affects
the unity it proclaims. Through the power of Jesus Christ in
the Eucharist, we are incorporated into his body as he draws
near to us, and we in turn draw near to him. As we come to the
Eucharistic celebration, we hear the words of Jesus, and we
receive his body, blood, soul, and divinity. We worship the Father
through the Son in the Holy Spirit, and we are healed of our
anxieties, fears, selfishness, and pride, so that we may overflow
with love for God and for our neighbor.