Hometown: Duncansville
Home Parish: Saint Mary Parish in Hollidaysburg
Seminary: Saint Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore
2020 Summer Assignment: Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Johnstown
Personal Interests: Anything Football related, reading, and weightlifting
Why do you feel called to the Priesthood? I feel called to the priesthood in the Altoona Johnstown Diocese in order to serve the people and the local diocesan church. I have felt a more or less consistent call to the priesthood since I attended Camp Zacchaeus in 8th grade. Now as a young adult, I see our local choice in vocational need and I could not, in good conscience, wait on pursuing my possible diocesan priest vocation. I feel that if I am truly called to be a priest, that I owe it to our local church to discern my call now enabling me to give as much of my life to the church as possible.
What advice would you give to a man considering the Priesthood? Do not try to rule out the seminary while living in the secular world. You cannot rule out a life that you have not experienced. Instead try to rule out a secular life while living in the secular world, and then give the seminary a chance. My pastor, Father Anthony J. Legarski, gave this advice to me, and thus far that is the best advice I have received in regards to discernment.