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MyCatholicVoice

I was Ordained on June 3rd, 2006 in Kansas City.  When asked what led me to the priesthood, I often give the short answer, God.  Indeed, it was God who, in the quiet of my heart, left me with a peace, when asked the question, "have you ever thought about being a priest," that I had not experienced before.  At the time I was in Medical School, and was thinking I should lead others primarily to physical health. Looking back, now, that noble profession was not for me, but rather the vocation to lead people to spiritual health.  A simple question and the working of the Holy Spirit led me to consider the priesthood.

Two other events helped me leave Medical School and formally begin discerning and formation.  First, I went to a Men's Conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville. There I saw the Catholic Faith being expressed with a zeal that I had never before witnessed; I saw lines for Confession and men praying and praising God. That moved me greatly.  Secondly, I traveled to Medugorje on a pilgrimage with about 75 others. There, across the Adriatic Sea from Rome, I again met Catholics who took their faith seriously. One couple said they were giving up birth control, but I was taught to promote that in Medical School. Others were amazed I'd consider giving up medicine for the priesthood.  Franciscan University and Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pushed me past "considering" to "doing."

When I think of the importance of Catholic school education I think of a Catholic High School art class I had, and the apparent influence of the school environment. Recently my dad died, and just a short time before that he said to me, "Father (he called me Father, I called him Dad), maybe you want this back."  He handed me a shepherd's staff letter opener that I had made when I was at St. Catherine's High School in Racine, Wisconsin, in that art class. I had made the letter opener out of a piece of brass.  Yes, my Catholic educational environment helped prepare me for a vocation to the priesthood.