After talking with Fr. Mike and another priest friend
of mine Fr. Paul Soper, they left me with the impression when you
know, you know. At that time I didn’t really know, and just
figured if God really wanted me to serve His Church as a priest
then he would reveal that to me. Meanwhile, I tried to make the
most of my education, by pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering.
I felt called for the first time during my third year at UMass.
A girl’s mother from my parish died of cancer, and I attended
the funeral. Fr. Mike and Fr. Paul gave the homily at the mass,
and I found them inspiring. It was during the time of consecration
I looked at the altar thinking how wonderful the role of a priest
is; they inspire hope in what seemed to be a dark moment. I thought
to myself I should be up there then I heard a small voice from inside
that said you will be up there. I was really nervous about the small
voice, because it didn’t seem like my thoughts. I was waiting
for an answer, if it came, I was hoping for it to come later than
it did, but there it was. At first I tried to suppress it, and tried
to convince myself I can live with this hanging over my head. I
don’t have to respond. But the call simply wouldn’t
leave.
As my time at UMass went on, I realized that I will not be able
to run from God for long. I became convinced that the only way I
could find fulfillment is to live out God’s will for my life,
and I could see that clearly through prayer and receiving the sacraments.
Fr. Gary Dailey helped me with this conviction as my spiritual director.
I tried to discerning the call my senior year without holding anything
back. I prayed the breviary daily and attended vocation group meetings
at the Newman Catholic Center more frequently. I attended the Come
and See retreat weekend with the Diocese in February, 2007. Since
I was from the Archdiocese of Boston I always had my heart set on
serving as a priest for Boston if I was called to be a priest. However,
during the retreat, I didn’t know how much of an accident
it was or wasn’t that I was there with Springfield. I thought
about it, prayed about it, and felt a tug towards applying for Springfield.
After spring break, I received an application to the Diocese from
Fr. Gary in the mail, and filled it out while completing the requirements
for Civil Engineering.
It’s been a long time coming, but I’m here and feel
very blessed to be where I am today. I have a lot of confidence
in the other seminarians I’m going in with, also Bishop Timothy
McDonnell, Fr. Gary Dailey and Fr. Doug McGonagle from the Newman
Catholic Center who helped me along the way. I look forward to the
opportunity to discern my vocation more deeply, and see if what
I heard that day at the funeral did in fact come from God. So far,
I feel as though I am on the right path. The timing to give the
seminary a try couldn’t be better. As I mentioned, I look
forward to the opportunity and I’m very excited.