Thoughts on Priesthood:

The Priesthood is a gift given to man by God. Through Jesus Christ the sacrament of Holy Orders was established and passed down from the first Apostles to the priests today. Priesthood is a ministry in which priests bring God to men and men to God. They are mediators and servants. The life of a priest is one of perpetual self-giving and sacrifice in order to win souls for Christ.

Why I want to be a Priest:

I want to be a priest primarily because I believe that that is what God is calling me to do. Aside from that, I desire to be a priest because I want to be able to bring Christ's healing love to the people of this lost and depraved society where there is such a need for the Gospel message of God.

Hobbies & Interests:

I enjoy bicycling (road and mountain), snowboarding, reading, carving, music, and spending time with friends.

Tell us about your family as you grew up and when you started thinking about being a priest:

I grew up on a farm in a family of eight. My family was a loving, close knit family, including the extended family. The Catholic faith was always a part of our lives, from Mass on Sundays to prayers before meals and bed at night. My parents always promoted practicing our faith and sent us to religious education, as well as youth retreats in High School. Being able to see how retreats and faith changed my siblings, inspired me to pursue my own faith more diligently. I didn't seriously consider becoming a priest until I was a Sophomore in High School, although the seed was planted by my parish priest when I was eight years old.

Influence:

The greatest influences in my life, aside from God himself, have been my parents, the priests at my parish, the youth ministers at my parish, and lastly the different retreats that I went on in High School.