Ever since I arrived at Christ the King Parish last July, I’ve gone by many names and titles. Not because I had any say in the matter—it simply comes with the territory when you wear the Roman collar. In my case, I happen to look enough like my predecessor, Fr. Chris Rehagen--tall...

Earlier this month, as our parish community celebrated Ash Wednesday, I was able to preside at our school Mass.  I love celebrating Mass with our children at the grade school!  It’s one of the highlights of my week as I am able to share the Eucharist with our kids who are growing...

I have made one or two important discoveries during my time in Holy Cross. One such discovery is that nothing is certain. Although Jesus Christ makes many promises to those who follow God’s will, He never promises perfect certainty along the way. In fact, certainty is one of...

Last week, I was visiting one of our classrooms at St. Joseph Grade School and during the visit, one of the students asked if I could bless them. His question caused me to go back to a memory from when I was assigned to St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church in Austin, TX. At St...

I haven’t been at my family home for Thanksgiving since 2012, which was the year before I entered Moreau Seminary. The schedule of academics and the formation program have meant that I have spent each of the last three holidays with my religious family in Holy Cross. Before that, of...

If you aren’t vigilant, a lot of formation in the seminary can create a momentum toward navel-gazing. We can get in the habit of asking ourselves constantly, “How is my prayer life, my school work, my vocation, my ministry?” Even something like community, which jostles us out...

There I was. In the middle of this cemetery in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Mexico. I was in the middle of my pastoral year at our parish in Monterrey, Mexico on this very date of All Souls Day, el Día de los Muertos. I was asked to help with the parish mass in the local cemetery and so...

Those of you who have visited Moreau Seminary already, set on the northern shore of St. Joseph’s Lake across from the Golden Dome, don’t need me to tell you that the Sacred Heart Chapel is one of the best-kept secrets on this campus. The entire wall behind the sanctuary is made of a...

Some of my earliest declarations about becoming a priest came as a young twelve year old altar server. In response, my mother and grandmother brought me on pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in the south of France. I have always been grateful to them for the opportunity to begin my...

“Alright. You’ve got the Rosary this Friday,” he told me right before we hung up. Lance is a man who I met over the summer a few years ago and keep up with from time to time. He has a strong devotion to the rosary and will often make sure to tell me that he is praying for me at...