Some Thoughts and a Story

For as long as I can remember, my life has been marked by an intense desire for it. I cannot explain why this is the case and I cannot articulate what it is that draws me so deeply into it. I have wondered about it, grappled with it, and prayed about it for nearly my entire life. Not a day has passed that it has not plagued my mind and moved my soul. I am enslaved and victimized by it, as a man dying of thirst is captured by the cool water of a flowing spring. Even when my own sinfulness prompts me to bury my head and turn myself away from it, its own radiating beauty pierces my very being and pulls me in all the more. It follows me and hounds me, gently but ever so consistently. The priesthood, the love of the heart of Jesus Christ, beating with love for mankind, has smitten me.

I suppose this love story begins in my early childhood. I grew up outside of Lewiston in a Catholic family of French-Canadian descent. From a young age I was involved in the parish as an altar boy and loved spending as much time as possible at church. It was during this tender and formative years that the seeds of a priestly vocation were sewn. I would find myself playing Mass in my bedroom and devouring the wonderful little children's books about the lives of the Saints. People in the parish would often say to me, "Have you ever thought of becoming a priest?" For me, nothing seemed more natural...even as a little boy I felt like only the priesthood could bring me happiness.

By the time I entered St. Dominic's Regional High School, my desire for and love of the priesthood continued to grow. Area priests really took me under their wings and show me what it means to be a priest. I studied diligently and began to come to a deeper and more adult understanding of the faith. I graduated from high school in 2005 and two years later I was accepted as a college seminarian for our Diocese.

As it stands now, I am a fifth-year seminarian and am preparing to begin my second year of theological studies at the Theological College of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. This journey, though itself still very young, has been filled with many blessings and challenges. At nearly 24 years of age, I am currently the youngest of our seminarians and have so much more to learn and experience before God, through His Holy Church, might bestow upon me the great gift of the priesthood. I look forward to being able to share my thoughts and experiences on this blog during the coming years.