School: St. Vincent de Paul Seminary
10701 S. Military Trail
Boynton Beach, FL 33436
Background
I was born in Boca Raton, FL. My early years were spent in south Florida. I have a sister who is two years younger than me. Our parents raised my sister and me in a Catholic household attending regular Sunday Mass. Our family moved to Alpharetta, GA when I was thirteen. I attended Alpharetta High School and after high school, I attended Georgia College and State University and graduated with BA in management in 2018.
What are your favorite hobbies and interests?
I like to relax by hanging out with friends, playing and watching sports, reading, and contemplating the transcendentals of truth beauty, and goodness in nature and in the arts!
What is one of your favorite scriptures?
2 Corinthians 12: 9-12.
Who is your favorite saint and why?
The Holy Family! Mary, Mother of God because of her Fiat to the Lord to cooperate with God’s plan for the world. St. Joseph because of his Yes to the Lord to trust in the Holy Spirit’s guidance to lead and take care of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our Lord. Together their love and intimacy for each other all while remaining focused on Jesus and introducing him to the world!
In a nutshell, what is your vocation story? How did you feel called to the priesthood?
I first became aware of God’s love for me in college through the sacraments, virtuous friendships, and the poor! As I slowly immersed myself in these three things, the awareness of God’s presence became visible. Once I learned how to pray and sit at the Lord’s feet (still learning by the way), I desired more to serve others. This was cultivated through greater devotion to the Eucharist, confession, Mary, bible studies, one on one discipleship, and mission trips! Upon graduation, it was clear that I wanted to serve my brothers and sisters on college campuses doing evangelization work with FOCUS. My involvement with Life Teen and FOCUS in my youth hugely formed me in the faith and paved the path for my discernment to priesthood. Both as a student and a missionary I developed relationships with so many priests that witnessed the heart of Jesus to me. Through these relationships and the mission work (so many great relationships with teammates/other missionaries/students) at University of Memphis, my heart for Fatherhood grew exponentially! Coming to Memphis, I knew I wanted to apply to seminary; it was a matter of when. I would have stayed on campus serving college students if the desire for priesthood wasn’t so strong! I had to say, yes in full freedom!
What is seminary life like for you?
Seminary life is great! It certainly has its challenges. It’s fast paced and we have a lot of responsibilities. Though every responsibility is very formative! They help us grow as children of God and as future Fathers building the kingdom of God. We pray, study, serve each other and in the community outside the seminary according to their specific needs.
What do you look forward to about being a priest?
I look forward to bringing the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ to people. Specifically through the Eucharist, Confession, and Mary.
What advice do you have for other guys thinking about the priesthood?
Pray, hope, and don’t worry! -St. Padre Pio! First, relax. It’s okay if you are thinking about the priesthood as a Catholic man! It’s normal! Seek God first and everything will be given to you. So remain open to the Holy Spirit asking Him to guide you in your openness to God’s plan. Ask for the Blessed Mother’s intercession. Bring it to the light with a trusted spiritual director and friends! From my experience, it is helpful to remember we always have our freedom! God respects our freedom. However If we are generous in our freedom with God, He will be abundantly generous with us!