I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and Cincinnati, the oldest of three children. When I was in fifth grade, my youngest sister died. While I never doubted God’s existence, I nonetheless became angry with God. Over time, however, this experience became the catalyst to a deeper trust in the Lord, in His plan for each of us, and to my relationship with Him.
Upon graduating from Purdue University, I worked for IBM as an engineer and as a project manager. After a number of years, I quit my job to pursue my masters degree in theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville. One evening, not long after I graduated, I was praying in front of the Eucharist in Adoration. I began to consider the positives of being a married man (for I had a serious girlfriend at the time) versus those of being a priest. Rather suddenly, an idea struck me, and I asked the Lord: “Wait, do You want me to become a priest?” This question surprised me internally—it was so unexpected! But what surprised me even more was that I found myself attracted to the idea. Since then, I have been moving along the path towards one day hopefully becoming a priest—and the idea continues to excite me more and more. Please pray for me that I will serve God and His people well!