My family moved from San Diego, California to Beaverton, Oregon when I was 10 years old. I grew up in a Christian home with parents who loved the Lord and we attended a Non-Denominational Christian Church. My parents really helped me with my love for reading, which was mostly about ancient cultures. I was always fascinated by the many different peoples and customs in God’s creation. I really started to read the Bible when I was 13 years old, which led
to lots of questions and hearing many differences of opinions on matters pertinent to God and souls. I was not satisfied with the answers.
When I was 14, my family attended a Greek festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox cathedral. It was my first encounter with ancient Christian tradition. I attended Mass there for a while and the priest was very kind and comfortable with my many questions. He said he thought I had a calling to priesthood, but I could not even comprehend that at the time. I then got lost in the fun of youth and the many social activities of high school. I still read the Bible a lot and enjoyed books by Christian authors and other famous literature.
In my twenties, I began to read all kinds of spiritual writings from all eras and nations, in an effort to be fair and “open minded.” I visited meetings and services at many different churches, temples, and groups; I went straight to the horse’s mouth. I was called a “seeker” by many I met. At first I loved that title, like the spiritual life was an adventure and I was Indiana Jones or something. But, it also meant that I had no commitments or responsibilities. Finally, one verse that convicted me was Matthew 8:20, “The Son of Man has no where to lay His head.” I was spiritually homeless. Christ was too since He desired to rest in the hearts of all who followed Him. He had been preparing my heart to find rest in Him.
When I received baptism in the Orthodox Church at age 32, my new life in Christ was difficult, but I made the commitment to love Him and go where He led me. The priest who baptized me also said he saw a calling to priesthood in me. I dismissed the idea as too lofty an office for me to hold as a recent convert. As I continued to learn, I began to notice conflicting issues within the Orthodox Church that gave me pause. I found some of the same issues in the Catholic Church too, but having a Pope in Rome who could have a final say on matters of faith and morals brought clarity. It was realizing the need for the Pope and reading the book ‘Divine Mercy in my Soul: The Diary of St. Faustina,’ that moved my heart toward the Catholic Church. St. Faustina spoke to me as a sinner in desperate need for God’s mercy. Her words are those of a great saint who had intimate knowledge of the Holy Trinity, a God of love and the only real and living God.
I entered the Catholic Church at St. Cecilia Parish in Beaverton, by making a profession of faith to Fr. Peter Julia. I began attending and serving at daily Mass. It was the happiest I had ever been; living in truth with our loving Lord around His altar with His people. Fr. Peter also said that he saw the calling to the priesthood in me. After much discussion I decided to act in faith, live in hope, and seek charitable service for God and His Church as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Portland. Thank you for your generous support and participation in my journey.
Please pray for me while I study and discern this awesome opportunity to live fully Christ’s call to “take up my cross” and follow Him.
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