My journey began in a Catholic household of thirteen children and two loving parents. We made many great memories growing up and I was always inspired to grow closer to Christ by strong mentors such as my older sister, Megan. Although I had always been involved in the Church and altar served, the call towards the priesthood didn’t come until my later years in high school.
When I was around 16, I was on a retreat where I saw a man go into Confession, then come out and begin to cry in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I imagined how wonderful it would be to be the priest who heard his Confession. I brought this to God in prayer and since then the Holy Spirit has set my heart on fire for the priesthood. The flame grew even more and could not be ignored. I contacted the Archdiocese to apply and after graduation, I went to study at Bishop White Seminary in Spokane, WA.
Seminary formation was so wonderful for me, but since I entered straight out of high school, I had a lot of growing up to do. Towards the end of my second year, I unfortunately lost my older brother, Samuel, to suicide. Please pray for the repose of his soul. I needed a break to deal with the trauma. With the help of the Archdiocese, I took a leave of absence to heal and stayed for roughly eight months at the Cathedral in Portland to focus on therapy and prayer. Over the course of this time, I learned how to deal with stress, control my emotions, and see how God truly brings beauty out of every evil when we invite Him into it.
I eventually left formation at the end of 2021, and began working the night shift at a warehouse. I bought my first car, got my first apartment, and grew up even more. Soon, I began to get lazy and comfortable. I lived a life of seeking pleasures the earth offered, pushing aside what I had learned and pursued in seminary. However, God had planted seeds in my heart that couldn’t be ignored, so after years of doing nothing, I began to go back to prayer. I started praying in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every day, picked up my breviary again, and built other habits such as the praying the Rosary. The desire for the priesthood never altered during this time off, and after my re-version so to speak, it grew tremendously again.
My understanding of the priesthood has evolved. Where at first I saw the beauty of the priesthood through the sacraments, now I see the priesthood as a necessary means of my salvation. My heart desires to put my whole attention on the beauty of God. I also have a very caring heart for others despite my own vices, and want to serve others in the Sacraments. Your prayers and support help me to chase this desire that God has put in my heart to grow closer to Him and save souls. Thank you and God bless you.
Prayer for Our Seminarians
Lord Jesus, as you once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come Follow Me! We thank you for the gift of these seminarians called to serve in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Inspire them to imitate You, the Eternal High Priest, in sacrificial service to Your Church. Grant perseverance to our seminarians. Give them the graces they need to one day serve You faithfully as priests. May Your light shine through them to everyone they meet. Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation, help our seminarians to continue to say “yes” to the Lord who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation. Amen