I was raised in an active Catholic family in Portland, Oregon. I grew up in the parish community of St. Joseph the Worker where I witnessed and participated in various acts of service with my family. I also participated in my parish’s faith formation program and later joined the youth group. I became an altar server at nine years old. That role became the avenue of growing closer to God and finding a new way to participate in the Mass.
In the spring of 2020, everything in my life abruptly stopped. I could no longer altar serve because churches and most businesses were shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. At 13 years old, this was a confusing time because I believed receiving the Eucharist was essential. Looking back, the pandemic helped me understand just how essential the Mass truly is.
During the closures, my family and I began praying the Rosary twice a day instead of once. We even learned to pray it in Latin. We read the daily Mass readings, and learned more about Fatima and the First Saturdays devotion. My grandparents turned their living room into a small sanctuary, and my brother and I arranged the coffee table like an altar with candles, propping up an iPad so we could participate in livestreamed Mass together.
After Easter, when churches began reopening, my family started attending Christ the King parish in Milwaukie, Oregon. It was one of the first parishes to resume public Masses and restart its altar server program. My mom felt strongly that we needed to be present before Christ in the Eucharist and remain actively involved in serving Him. The pastor, Monsignor John Cihak, warmly welcomed our family. The formation there was much more structured and came with greater responsibilities than I had experienced before. Because we were able to serve daily Mass as well as Sundays, my brother and I learned quickly. We were also blessed to be trained by several seminarians and transitional deacons who are now priests. Their example showed me that the priesthood could be my vocation as well.
My desire to become a priest grew even stronger after attending several Catholic retreats. During my first retreat, a NET retreat for Confirmation, I experienced an overwhelming peace during Adoration unlike anything I had ever known. It felt as though time stood still. Everyone else had quietly left the church, and for the first time I felt a personal relationship with Christ beginning to grow. It was there that I gave Him my first “yes” to commit myself to following Him.
Since then, I have attended Quo Vadis Days, Ignite NW, Steubenville NW, and the Archbishop’s Discernment Retreat. Each retreat has strengthened my faith and my relationship with Christ. After the Archbishop’s Discernment Retreat, I felt called to attend seminary to continue discerning God’s will for my life while keeping my eyes fixed on Christ. I am grateful for your prayers and support.