My Story
As I hurried down the stairs for recess, I looked back at my third grade teacher and rather spontaneously told her that one day I wanted to be a priest. Over the next several years into junior high and on to my first couple of years of high school, I rarely thought about the priesthood, as I was very involved with school and a variety of activities. It wasn't until late 2002 that thoughts of the priesthood really began to emerge and take shape. It was during this time that Father James Shea came to SMCHS with an incredible zeal for teaching the splendor of the Catholic faith in its fullness. After traveling to Guatemala and Italy with my classmates from SMCHS and witnessing more closely the daily lives of faithful and energetic priests, I continued to have very serious thoughts of the priesthood. However, upon graduating from high school in 2004, I felt that I needed to follow my long-time dream of entering the medical profession, and so I attended Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, to pursue a degree in biology. My heart grew increasingly restless and dissatisfied as I pursued this path. I can vividly recall being so consumed with thoughts of the priesthood that I could not focus in class or while studying for exams.
I truly resented these constant thoughts of the priesthood because I wanted so much to achieve my dream of entering the medical field. After attending a weekend retreat at Cardinal Muench Seminary following my sophomore year of college, I became more certain that God was drawing me closer to the seminary. Finally, during the fall semester of my senior year at Saint John's, I contacted Father Thomas Richter, the vocations director for the Diocese of Bismarck. I was absolutely certain of a call to enter the seminary and have experienced a tremendous peace of soul ever since being accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese. I graduated from Saint John's University in May 2008 with a B.A. in Biology and Philosophy and will attend Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri, beginning in the fall of 2008.
I am sincerely grateful to all those who have taught and supported me throughout my years in Catholic school. I am deeply humbled but excited about the possibility that God may be calling me to the priesthood. It is my sincere hope to be a faithful witness to the reality, love, and bountiful generosity of God.
