Seminary
Immaculate Heart of
Mary Seminary
700 Terrace Heights
Box #587
Winona, MN 55987

Parish
St. Bernard Parish,
Green Bay

Birthday
December 30

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

While growing in friendship with St. Thérèse of Lisieux, I read her “Story
of a Soul” last September and loved it so much that I
read it again over Holy Week.

When you find yourself with a “free night,” what is
something you are likely to do?

Ideally, it would be a brisk fall night where a few friends and I escape the seminary to
play a dusk round of golf followed by an exquisite dinner
at Culver’s. I would then go spend some alone time with
my best friend, Jesus, in the Blessed Sacrament.

What do you remember from your First Communion?

Besides receiving Jesus in the Eucharist for the first
time, nothing about the day was out of the ordinary. I
procrastinated getting ready until the last minute, fought
my parents on having to wear nice clothes, and didn’t
care for the taste of the Precious Blood as I expected. It
is fun to think back on now, because I go to Mass early,
I like dressing up and, until COVID-19, received the
Precious Blood regularly.

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

Holiness is attractive. Living at home this summer in Green Bay has provided
me with the opportunity to be within a reasonable driving
distance of the Carmelite Monastery in Denmark. For
the most part, Carmel has been my refuge for daily Mass
and personal Holy Hours throughout the summer. Over
the Kairos Year, I have developed a deep appreciation
for the quiet contemplative lifestyle that the nuns at
Carmel are accustomed to. The peaceful sounds of
nature complementing the already angelic voices of the
nuns in choir create a perfect atmosphere for prayer and
intimacy with Christ.

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

There seems to be a correlation between Jesus veiling himself in something as simple as
bread and wine and how he took his time revealing the
power of his Eucharistic presence to me. I would never
say that I lacked belief in his true presence, but I would
say that I never gave it much thought until my senior
year of high school. I first felt Jesus knock at my heart
through the invitation of a friend to join him in making a
weekly Holy Hour at SS. Peter & Paul Perpetual Adoration
Chapel during our open period Thursday afternoons.
While working through the awkward beginning stages
of being silent while not falling asleep during the drowsy
hours of the afternoon, I began to feel a curiosity for the
priesthood for the first time and not just because my
friend was beginning the application process himself.
Many more small offers and encounters like this have
led me through the Kairos Year and into my first year of
college seminary.

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?

If there is anyone out there reading this booklet who is
on the fence about whether Jesus is truly present in the
Eucharist, I would like to assure you that you are not
alone. A 2019 study by Pew Research Center stated
that two thirds of Catholics are in that exact position.
Even Jesus’ own disciples thought this teaching was
hard. Jesus does not mince his words when it comes
to receiving the Bread from Heaven. He said, “I am the
bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and
he who believes in me shall never thirst,” and again, more
emphatically, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no
life in you. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed.” These are indeed tough words, but when
Jesus asks the disciples if they too will leave like many
of those who followed him, Peter beautifully testifies to
his faith by stating, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of eternal life.” Jesus desires nothing
more than you and to be one in you, so I encourage you
to turn to him in your confusion and ask him to increase
your faith in his true presence.

Which saint should people invoke for your vocation
and why?

As the patroness of both the university and
seminary I attend, it is precisely the maternal love of the
Immaculate Heart of Mary that I wish to stay wrapped
up in as she leads me to the heart of her son, Jesus.