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

 I grew up on the farm with my extended family in Miami County, near Tipp City. I loved being on the farm from the cows, to our pond and creek to play in, to bring surrounded by my family. We still attend Sacred Heart in New Carlisle where I spent my whole life growing up in the choir with many of my family members. One of my favorite memories is the couple of years I was able to sing in the tenor section with my grandpa Jim. My father, Tony, farmed with his brothers, and my mom, Julie, was a choir teacher at Tecumseh High School for 30 years. I have one older brother, Andy, who has followed in our father’s footsteps.

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

I am extraordinarily grateful for my time living in Saint Paul’s Outreach while I attended college at The Ohio State University pursuing a degree in Agronomy. While living in this Catholic community I grew in my faith and deepened my relationship with Jesus. My senior year, I went on retreat in Minnesota and I remember thinking and praying a lot about what I would do post-graduation. My plan was to go back to the farm, grow all my own food, and raise a family, but to my surprise, by the end of the week I realized God was asking me to look into religious life! Of course, at the time, I thought, “sure I will look into it,” then go back to the farm. Yet, little by little my conviction grew as God continued calling and I took each step-in faith. I knew that, in the end, my joy and salvation lay in following God’s will, which meant I needed to trust him in faith.

Who has been a mentor for you along the way?

First, my family has been a witness to the faith. My grandma Rita was a strong witness growing up. My parents also gave me a strong faith through their witness, especially my mother who offered her sufferings to the Lord through an aneurysm and the glioblastoma that took her life in 2012. Further in college, I thank many of the friends that I lived with in Saint Paul’s Outreach who helped me to grow deeper in my faith life. Lastly, I must thank my spiritual director, Fr. Sunberg, who has been so supportive and helpful to me in my journey and is the prayerful, charitable, and generous priest I hope to be.

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

I am excited to be a part of my people’s lives. It is a great privilege to be a priest in persona Christi and to be there with people in good times and bad. From celebrating weddings and baptisms to funerals; from hearing confessions to the Eucharist at Mass, it will be a great joy to be an instrument of God’s grace to help my people on their journey with Jesus.

Do you have any particular favorite devotions or prayers?

Ever since my mother passed, I have grown closer to Mary who has been a source of consolation and strength. I also love St. Joseph, especially his humility and under the title Terror of Demons. Lastly, I have been growing in my love for the powerful virgin-martyr Philomena and for St. Therese of Lisieux, whose heart burned with love for God.

What’s a hobby or activity you enjoy?

I love traveling and hiking, which I thought I had to give up after I joined seminary, but to my surprise God gave that back to me. I have been able to go to both Rome and the Holy Land during my time at seminary. I also traveled out west to Yellowstone, north through Canada to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, east to Acadia National Park in Maine, and south to the Great Smoky Mountains. The beauty of God’s creation always lifts my mind to heaven.

Further, while you can take the person out of the farm, you can’t take the farm out the person! I love to grow plants both indoors and outside. There is nothing quite like eating a meal that you have grown yourself.

Anything else you’d like to share with the faithful of our archdiocese?

I am excited to serve you as a priest. Please pray for us as we pray for you in the hope that we all will one day praise God in heaven together.