I was extremely fortunate to grow up in a loving, tight-knit, Catholic family. As a child, I experienced so much of God’s love through my family. Their example and leadership set a solid foundation for my faith life as I was brought up in the sacraments, attended Mass every week, and was surrounded by other loving, devoted Catholic families.
When I entered high school, I began to feel an immense pressure to ‘fit in.’ I was consumed with what others thought about me, which motivated poor choices and bad habits. At the same time, although I was still actively practicing my faith, doubt crept in. I met so many other peers who believed that God was different, or didn’t believe in Him at all. I experienced a tension and disunity between my sinful lifestyle and what I said I believed in.
At Oregon State University I encountered the St. John Society and Society of Mary at the Newman Center. I also met lifelong friends who didn’t just say they believed in Jesus, but actually knew Him, talked with Him, and were filled with joy when talking about Him. They had what I wanted, an authentic relationship with Jesus and a life oriented towards Him. While I was encouraged by a particularly life-changing confession early on in college, I still wrestled with letting go of my sins and truly giving my life over to God. This struggle was complicated by anxiety and depression as well. It wasn’t until after graduation that I finally arrived at a decision point. If I was going to continue to say that I was Catholic, I needed to put my whole heart into it and definitively choose to follow Jesus, so I made the commitment to give my life to Him.
This decision led to many changes in my life, including the opportunity to be a missionary at OSU while discerning priesthood with the St. John Society. In that year, I learned how to pray, serve, and give of myself. I decided to continue on with my studies for my eventual career as a speech-language pathologist, but I always had a lingering curiosity about diocesan priesthood. Over 6 years, I continued to encounter so many priests who whole-heartedly love and serve the Lord and their parishioners, which increased the ‘volume’ of this question in my heart. After I attended the Archbishop’s Priesthood Discernment Retreat in 2025, I finally felt free to take the next step toward God’s invitation. My application to become a seminarian was accepted in 2026.
I don’t know what God has in store for me, but I am confident that He is calling me to the seminary to not only discern my vocation, but to lean on Him, surrender control, and grow as His disciple. As I strengthen my relationship with God, I hope to learn how to generously share His love with others. Please keep me and my brother seminarians in your prayers and thank you for all of your support and encouragement.