I grew up in a Catholic family where we regularly went to Mass on Sunday and I attended Catholic school. Despite this, in high school I regarded Catholicism as more of a label of who I was rather than something I actively owned, so I did not get confirmed with my classmates. My outlook changed after I started going to Montana State University, which was the first non-Catholic school I went to. It was the first time that I was in an environment where Catholicism wasn’t just a normal thing that people identified with. I had multiple people press me on my faith and it caused me to seek out answers to the questions and objections they had. After doing my research, I decided that if I was going to call myself Catholic, I had to take my faith seriously. I was eventually confirmed on Easter Vigil in 2017. From there my faith life grew slowly, but steadily back towards the Lord. I started going to confession regularly and praying the rosary every day.
After graduating with an engineering degree, getting a job and an apartment, I found my spiritual home at St. Patrick’s Parish in Portland. With the community’s support and prayers I experienced the Lord’s healing of a particularly troubling episode in my life and ultimately found freedom from sins that had held my heart captive. I also saw the Lord work even more incredible healing in the lives of others around me.
Commensurate with my healing, I became more involved in the parish and regularly gave of my time and talent. Altar serving had always been a component of how I got involved at parishes growing up, in college, and as an adult. It was through altar serving that I began to grow, both in love of the liturgy and in being more seriously drawn toward the priesthood.
After a particularly powerful homily by the pastor in September 2022 urging men to consider the priesthood, I told him we needed to talk. From there I started receiving regular spiritual direction as well as having discussions with the Archdiocese of Portland Director of Vocations. I continued to grow in my understanding and willingness to answer God’s call to be a priest in Christ’s Church for His people.
I desired to enter seminarian formation in 2023, but I had to overcome a financial obstacle before I could be accepted. As I worked toward the goal, the Lord continued to bring me closer to Him with more healing and maturity. I was excited to be accepted in 2026 and to start the next chapter of my life. I felt the Lord telling me, through many people, to use this time in formation well as I discern His plan for my life. As I have seen His providence and timing everywhere in the process to become a seminarian, I trust He will continue to guide me. Thank you for your prayers for me and my brother seminarians.