Tell us a little bit about you personally: Where are you from, your home parish, what’s your family like, etc.

I grew up in the countryside of Shelby County and attended Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in McCartyville and graduated from Anna High School in 2014. I have four siblings and 14 nieces and nephews. I attend Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary and Marian University in Indianapolis from 2014-2018, and shortly discerned at a Benedictine monastery before I entered Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary in 2019.

When did you first begin to discern your calling to the priesthood?

I began to discern a vocation to the priesthood around the age of 17. This followed a highly impactful experience in prayer, and accompanied a deepening sense of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and a deepening love for the liturgy.

Who has been a mentor for you along the way?

I have had numerous positive influences on my vocation through the many years of discernment and seminary formation, to list them all would be impossible. Among those who had some of the greatest influence upon me are: Fr. Chris Armstrong, Fr. Frank Amberger, Fr. Dan Schmitmeyer, Fr. Bob Robeson, Fr. Jim Riehle, and Fr. Ryan Ruiz.

What are you looking forward to most about being a priest?

I most look forward to saying Mass, it is the source and summit of our faith – for everything comes forth from this supreme sacrificial act of worship and leads back to it.

Do you have any particular favorite devotions or prayers?

I have had devotion to St Francis of Assisi since before my confirmation, at which time I entrusted myself to his patronage. His love of Jesus in the Eucharist and in his neighbors has continually been a model for me. I likewise have a devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and to Our Blessed Mother, under her titles of the Immaculate Conception and Mother of God.

What’s a hobby or activity you enjoy?

I have always enjoyed singing. In the seminary I took to learning Gregorian Chant, which I have become greatly fond of. Apart from this, I enjoy hiking, gardening, camping expeditions, and reading.