Hometown: Wilmington, DE
Year in Formation: Deacon
High School: Archmere Academy (Claymont, DE) 2004
College: Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) 2009
College Major: BS Information Systems
Graduate School: University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN)
Graduate Degree: M.Div.
Previous Jobs: Software Engineer
Patron Saint: St. Joseph because of his quiet and humble example of obedience to God.
Favorite Books: Into Thin Airby John Krakauer,An Introduction to the DevoutLifeby St. Francis de Sales
Favorite Music: The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Angels and Airwaves
Hobbies: Running, Swimming, Trapping, Gardening, Photography
Favorite Way to Pray: Sitting in silence with God in the early hours of the morning and letting him love me
Favorite Devotion: Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows
Your Vocation Story: Growing up, I always admired the priests and brothers I knew, but I don’t remember ever considering a vocation to priesthood or religious life. This all changed when I heard the reading of Samuel’s call in the temple as an adult. For some reason, that reading spoke to me, and it seemed like God was directly asking me to be a priest. I was a little unnerved at this and I tried to avoid this nagging pull to priesthood. I tried switching roles within the company I was working for and even ended up taking a new job to try to make this idea of being a priest go away. My best efforts to avoid this call from God did not work. After talking to some friends and a priest at my parish, I began to be more open to saying Yes to God’s call. I began to have a more consistent prayer life and taught CCD at my parish. These helped me better hear God’s call and gave me a little more courage to eventually reach out to Holy Cross. Discernment is never finished once a man enters seminary, but it becomes a little less intimidating.
Ways that you resonate with the Holy Cross charism, “Educators in the Faith”: Being an “Educator in the Faith” goes far beyond the confines of a classroom. I have learned so much about how to be a religious by living with and seeing other Holy Cross religious live their religious lives. I hope to one day be able to provide that level of Christian witness to others.
One aspect of Holy Cross spirituality that speaks to you the most and why: Conformity to Christ. All Christians are called to conform their lives to Christ because of their baptism. My religious profession is a deepened and public commitment to conforming my life to Christ in his material poverty, lifelong chastity, and obedience to the Father.
Favorite Verse: “One day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. The threshold of the house of God I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.” – Psalm 84:10
Favorite Bl. Basil or St. André Quote: “Education is the art of helping young people to completeness; for the Christian, this means education is helping a young person to be more like Christ, the model of all Christians.” – Blessed Basil Moreau
How can visitors to this page pray for you? Pray that I may continue to say “Yes” to God each day and that everything I think, say, or do may be for nothing but Christ.