Parish: St. John Nepomucene Parish, Little Chute
Birthday: September 5
Seminary: St. Francis de Sales Seminary
Seminary Address: 3257 S. Lake Drive, St. Francis, WI 53235-3702


Which saint should people invoke for your vocation?
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity. I stumbled upon her a bit this summer, and I want
to develop a deep, rich Trinitarian prayer life like she did.

Coffee or tea?
Coffee, and not by a slim margin. You cannot beat sipping coffee
early in the morning, ideally outside on a porch!

If Jesus drove a vehicle during his public ministry, what
would it be?
Jesus undoubtedly drove a 12-passenger mini bus. Think about
it …

What is your ideal way to spend the Lord’s Day?
An ideal Lord’s Day begins with early morning coffee (no surprise
there), followed by a Holy Hour and Mass. The afternoon would
be spent outside, hiking, biking, or swimming at a lake, and then
in the evening I would hang out with my family and maybe play
a card game. Ideally, but also expectedly, I would win the game.

If you could celebrate Mass anywhere in the world, where
would you and why?
It would be great to celebrate Mass at any of the approved Marian
apparition sites around the world, especially at The National
Shrine of Our Lady of Champion in our own diocese. Going there
to pray and walk around the grounds never gets old, and my
appreciation of the story of Adele Brise, Our Lady’s apparition,
and the Peshtigo Fire continues to deepen. The priests assigned
to the Shrine love the Eucharist and are very intentional, so I
associate my visits with beautiful liturgies.

What spiritual book or author has most influenced your
journey of discipleship?
One author who quickly comes to mind is Bishop Fulton Sheen.
I have not read many of his books, but every so often I pick up
the book version of his “Life is Worth Living” recording series,
which highlights the Christian philosophy of life. The way he
communicates truths of the Catholic faith is quite inspiring
and yet very relatable and simple. He was a highly intelligent
priest and archbishop who mastered the art of explaining
difficult topics in a way that people could understand. He also
was very good at explaining truths by telling stories from real
experiences in his life. In my own growth in discipleship and
walking with others, I am learning from Bishop Sheen that it is
better to initially simplify the faith when sharing with others, but
without compromising. People thirst for knowledge and truth,
and sometimes the best way to share the Gospel is to make it
concrete by using everyday examples and telling stories.

How is the Eucharist meant to foster unity in the Church?
Celebrating the Eucharist/Mass is what Jesus meant when
he said, “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). As baptized
Catholics, there is nothing more unifying than celebrating
this Holy Sacrifice and consuming Jesus’ body and blood; it
is an inherently communal act of worship on our part. Unity
is fostered in the celebration and reception of the Eucharist
because when one receives Jesus humbly and with a proper
disposition (in a state of grace), one is then able to love with the
Divine love of Jesus, who himself exchanges perfect love with
the Father through the Holy Spirit.
If every baptized Catholic took the love of Christ into their body
and soul upon reception of the Eucharist and, upon walking
out of the church, extended that love to everyone they met, the
Catholic Church would be united in mission as well as united
more fully as members of the mystical Body of Christ.
Another way that the Eucharist fosters unity in the Church is
the fact that regular reception of the sacrament simply helps
one attain eternal life. Is that not the primary goal in life of
every dedicated Christian? Imagine the impact in the Church
and on the world if baptized Catholics ordered our lives around
frequent reception of the Eucharist.