I was born in Buffalo, NY in 1966 and grew up in a family of five. I have a younger brother and sister. Both of them are married with children and I have seven nieces and nephews. I attended Canisius College in the late 1980's but left to pursue a career in the restaurant industry. Eventually I felt called to the priesthood and left to enter formation for the Diocese of Buffalo. I attended Wadham's Hall Seminary College in Ogdensburg for two years. When the College closed its doors, Bishop Mansell, called me back to Buffalo where I finished my undergraduate studies at Canisius. I am completing my graduate studies at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora where I will graduate in May 2008. I will be ordained to the Priesthood of Christ on May 17th 2008 by my Bishop Edward U. Kmiec.
Seminary life has been a great gift for me. Over the course of my time at Christ the King Seminary, I have taken classes in the Trinity, Eucharist, and Catholic Social Teachings. I have had the wonderful opportunity to participate in some powerful field education experiences. These experiences include the Family Life Department (and the great work they are doing with persons who are divorced); as well as Campus ministry at the University of Buffalo (where I had the opportunity to get to know many fine young college age people who were in love with their faith).
The social life in the seminary is truly no different from many other colleges I have attended. We get together many times in our campus center to relax, watch sports like Bills games, Sabres games, etc. This time of fun is a wonderful way to develop relationship with others who are searching and discerning the same thing. I have found that in this way, each member of the community supports and affirms one another as we all struggle at times with our own unique call to priesthood.
When I look back at the journey that drew me to the priesthood, I must admit that at times it seems like a dream. In looking back, there was a period in my life when I filled my days with all sorts of things that I thought would fill the emptiness that I had been experiencing for years. I felt that I needed some counseling to deal with some of these issues. However, nothing was working and then it came to me one day ~ I felt that God was calling me to be a priest. In reflecting once again on why I wanted to become a priest, I would have to say that it all comes down to the call to serve. We know that God is love and where there is love there is God. For me personally, having received God's endless mercy, the thrill and gift of sharing that endless mercy with others is simply awesome. To be able to journey with God's people and enter into their sufferings in virtue of a ministry of presence is for me, truly a gift to behold. The joy in bringing Christ to those who struggle with brokenness is to watch them light up with hope when you share with them the hope that is the Easter Christ. The ability and the gift to be able to offer the Sacrifice of the Eucharist is the source and summit of the priesthood for me as well.
Finally, I think it is key to keep the faith, pray, love and hope. We all have dreams that keep us going. The call to the vocation of priesthood is not our doing. For we know that it is Christ who calls us and asks us, as He did St. Peter, to "Feed My sheep". I would encourage you to consider the priesthood simply because the Church needs good, strong, men. Understand that just because you have responded and said "yes", does not mean that over time you may discover that the priesthood is not for you. I strongly encourage you to remember: "The longest journey still requires that the first step be taken..." * * *Consider the priesthood. * * *It truly is a wonderful life and one filled with joy beyond your wildest imagining.