by John Stegeman

For incoming Chaminade Julienne senior Frank Riley, his first teachers of the Catholic faith were his parents, Angela and Joseph, who helped him and his older brother, Will, grow into young men with a strong devotion to the Church. For as long as he can remember, his parents brought him to Mass. His mom sang in the choir, and Riley credits his father for taking him on trips to retreats.

Currently discerning a call to the priesthood, Riley said that while he’s always been a committed Catholic, he’s grown from his childlike faith to a more mature view as a young man.

“I remember in fourth grade I said, ‘I want to be a priest,’ but not understanding what being a priest meant,” Riley said.

He was an altar server by fifth grade and continues to serve at both Chaminade Julienne for Mass and St. Albert the Great. He also assists at times as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. It was in his sophomore year of high school that Riley felt convicted to take his faith even more seriously.

“I started to ramp up in devotions and [began] to realize I should be doing better as a Catholic because I wasn’t really doing so well,” he said. “I wasn’t really living it out that well at home.”

Riley began a regular rosary, adopted a habit of regular confession and opened his heart to God’s call. People around him have long suggested he could make a good priest, but he still isn’t sure.

Kelli Kinnear, former director of Ministry and Service at Chaminade Julienne, said Riley stands out, even among students at a Catholic school.

“Frank is a kind, gentle young man whose faith is very important to him,” she said. “In fact, every morning you can find him before school starts in our school chapel praying the rosary. He’ll often go there when he’s able to during homeroom time as well.”

In 2023, Riley joined classmates on a mission trip to a Native American reservation in New Mexico. During downtime he went to the reservation’s 250-year-old Catholic church to pray. Riley witnessed a man in the church acting disrespectfully.

“The thought immediately hit me that… I need to be a priest,” said Riley.

Presently discerning with the Congregation of the Holy Cross out of the University of Notre Dame, Riley said his grandfather and father were students at Notre Dame, and he’s long been familiar with the Holy Cross Fathers.

Being a faithful Catholic teenager in 2024 isn’t always easy, and Riley knows his approach is counter to the culture.

“It can be a little frustrating sometimes with some people my age,” he said. “People say the Lord’s name in vain and other things that are common with the culture. Sometimes I just have to realize I was like this somewhat at one point too.

“But I really found good company with people when I actually reached out to the Holy Cross a year ago,” Riley added. “I’ve met a lot of high schoolers my age across the country who are discerning, but I would say in Dayton… it’s a little harder.”

Kinnear said Riley’s kind approach helps him with his peers. “He just has such a kind heart,” Kinnear said. “He’s such a gentle soul. … always so friendly, just sincerely friendly. His peers are drawn to that as well.”

Riley’s advice to his peers who want to grow in faith is simple. Pray and receive the sacraments.

“Working with your schedule is a good thing. The second thing is realizing where you can pray,” Riley said. “People say, ‘I can’t pray.’ We did this exercise in religion class showing how long we spend on our phones. People are spending hours on their phones every day. So, it’s like, you can spend time on your phone, or you can pray. Another thing is to go to confession. … It’s a win-win situation for me and for God.”

This article appeared in the August 2024 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.