Formation Stage

Discipleship Stage III

Home Parish

La Purisima, Orange

Seminary

St. John’s Seminary

Favorite Saint(s)

St. John the Beloved; St. Therese of Lisieux

Favorite Marian Apparition(s)

Our Lady of Sorrows

Favorite Book or Movie

Book: Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road”; Movie: Casablanca

Favorite Hobby

Reading

Background

What are some of the factors that led to your decision to enter the seminary and discern the question of a vocation to the priesthood?

My life of prayer developed greatly during my brief time with Christ in the City, and my intimacy with God in prayer continued to grow in the following months. It was in the daily reception of the Eucharist, the silence of prayer, and friendships within a loving Catholic community that I could discern God’s voice and providential activity in my life.

Who are some of the people who influenced your decision to enter the seminary? What is it about them that assisted you?

The priest who served as the chaplain at Boise State’s Catholic Center guided my priestly discernment, and provided me a strong inspiration to follow God’s call through his own faithful witness and love for the priesthood. There were also a few other men preparing to enter seminary at the Catholic Center, and seeing peers and friends who were ready to take a big step in pursuing a life fully devoted to Christ and His Church helped to provide me the courage to enter seminary myself.

Describe the moment that you knew you wanted to take the next steps to become a priest?

I knew I wanted to enter seminary when a close friend of mine told me that he had applied for seminary himself. I had been discerning for the past several months, and by this time, I was beginning to have an overwhelming sense that God was calling me to take a big step towards the priesthood; I had a strong desire to follow this call, but I also had a lot of fear and reservations. As soon as my friend shared his news, all my worries seemed to fade away, and were replaced with a peaceful steadfastness and trust.