The Pope's New Pastoral Staff

This article s courtesy of Whispers in the Loggia, on of my favorite blogs, written by Rocco Palmo.

While everyone's hopefully enjoying the long Thanksgiving weekend, the Pope is about to make his first turn with an early Christmas present.

For tomorrow night's first Vespers of the First Sunday of Advent -- the start of the new liturgical year -- B16 will debut a new pastorale ("pastoral staff") made especially for him, replacing the ferula of Bl Pius IX, which the pontiff has used since Palm Sunday 2008.

First announced in today's L'Osservatore Romano, the New Liturgical Movement breaks the story in English:
As Msgr. Guido Marini, the Papal Master of Ceremonies, tells tomorrow's edition of the [Vatican daily]: "Similar in shape to the ferula of Pius IX so far in use this can be considered to all intents and purposes the pastoral staff of Benedict XVI."...

[T]he new staff is donated to the Pontiff by the Circolo San Pietro, a Roman association founded in 1869 in support of the papacy. It is slightly smaller and lighter than the ferula of Bl. Pius IX.

On the front side of the new ferula is depicted in the centre the Lamb of God, and on the four points of the cross, the symbols of the four Evangelists. The arms of the cross are decorated in a net-like pattern which evokes the fisherman whose successor Pope Benedict is. On the backside there is in the centre the Chi-Rho, the monogram of Christ, and on the four points of the cross, four Fathers of Occident and Orient, Augustine and Ambrose, Athanasius and John Chrysostom, the same who also carry Bernini's cathedra. On the top of the shaft is the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI.
Likewise earlier today, the UK's Catholic Herald announced that, as expected -- but not, until now, confirmed -- Benedict will break with his pontificate's well-established custom to personally beatify Cardinal John Henry Newman on his visit to Britain next fall.

The papal vespers to kick off the "New Year" will run at 5pm Rome time, 11am Eastern, tomorrow, with EWTN running the livestream.

PHOTO: L'Osservatore Romano

Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving has arrived. What a wonderful holiday! Today we pause to consider what we are truly thankful for. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving is too often overshadowed by the approach of Christmas. Greed rears its ugly head as we overstuff ourselves on good food and look forward to Black Friday where we can resume the pursuit of worldly goods with great gusto. Now don’t misunderstand, these are not bad things in themselves, but as with all things they must be kept in moderation. We should not lose today in the anticipation of the tomorrow which may not come. Let us take some time today and reflect on the blessings that we receive. Out of an entire year, is 10 or 15 minutes really too much to ask to turn off the TV, Radio, Cell Phone, Ipod, Computer, etc. to reflect on the blessings and thank God from whom all blessings flow?

I am thankful for so many blessings in my life that they are almost innumerable. Today I am mindful of those men and women who are away from their families to keep me safe. We should remember our men and women serving in the military as well as the public servants, police and firefighters; healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing centers, etc.; and all the other people who take the time today to serve others. I am thankful for my family and friends who support me and pray for me as I pursue my vocation to the priesthood. I am thankful for the priests and religious who have dedicated their lives to God for the betterment of humanity. I am thankful for the opportunities which are afforded to me and my fellow Americans. And to each of you who read this, thank you for your support.

Take the time today to reflect on your blessings and thank God for them. Take the time to pray for those who bless your life and make it more enjoyable. So often we forget to say thank you. Don’t let today be just a start of the holiday season, make today a true day of Thanks-giving.

A Historic Moment

Just a few moments ago, the USCCB, in an historic event, FINALLY passed ALL of the translation adaptations for all parts of the REVISED MISSAL of the ordinary form of the Mass. For those who have been following, this is indeed an opportunity for much rejoicing. Let us give thanks to God for the wonderful work of many people who have worked so diligently and faithfully for the good of the Church.

A Loss

I have determined that Missouri has two seasons. Wet and humid. That’s it, nothing else. It is not unusual to receive 1-2 inches overnight. The news reports flooded roadways the way most cities report traffic jams. Not that the humidity has decreased, but at least now you can see it as it falls from the sky. The good news is that I think I am about ready to be honored with my first pair of water wings and webbed feet. I think Jesus spent some time in Missouri in His youth which is why he went to the desert for 40 days. He was just trying to dry out.

We had our first loss as a class this past weekend. One of our classmates discerned that he was not called to the priesthood and withdrew from the seminary. This was a very difficult decision for him I am sure. He said that he has been pondering this question for the last 11 months and felt he was making the right decision. This was a difficult time for all of us. Since we live, eat, study and pray together a significant bond occurs within a class. The loss is difficult but necessary from time to time. I am however, glad that men feel that they can come to the seminary to discern their call and are free to leave if the priesthood is not right for them. I hope and pray that all catholic young men understand this and feel free to enter the seminary to explore this call without the fear of undo expectations. All people need to understand that true discernment can only take place fully in the seminary. Leaving the seminary is not something to be looked at as bad, but rather an acknowledgement of true discipleship. Following God’s will is not always easy, but it is always necessary. We keep our brother in our prayers as he makes this transition to his new life outside these walls. May God continue to send workers to His harvest.

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran’s Day. Please remember to take the time to thank the veterans you know and pray for all veterans. Remember also their families who also have sacrificed. Military widows should be the top priority as their sacrifice is the greatest. Were it not for these sacrifices, we would not enjoy the freedoms we have today.

Veterans Day is a day to remember the individual soldiers who fought in our wars. It doesn’t matter whether they wanted to be there or not, whether people agree with the reason for the war or not. They were there, they were fighting for our country, and they should be remembered for it.

By honoring these men and women, we honor not only their valiance, but also the values for which they fought. They sacrificed to uphold the values upon which our country was founded and which we hold on high. They fought to guarantee us our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Time and again, they have fought forces that threatened our society and way of life.

Without their efforts, we would have lost our freedom. The freedoms we have in our country are unparalleled in most other nations, and we should be proud of them and therefore proud of those who put their lives on the line to protect those freedoms for us.

Today provides not only a chance to thank the veterans and their families but also a time of reflection and thanksgiving for what we have. How many of our freedoms do we take for granted? How often do we actually pause and give thanks to God for living in a country that allows freedom of religion, speech, assembly, etc.?

Today, take the time. Reflect and thank all those who provide us our freedom. Thank the veterans and spend time on your knees thanking God.

To all my Brothers and Sisters in Arms: THANK YOU!

“Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (Jn 15:13)

All Souls Day

Here are some thoughts and guidance for All Souls Day and this month of November.

"With Faber most theological writers maintain, that of all the works of mercy and charity the most exalted, pure and charitable is to aid the Suffering Souls in Purgatory."-from "Charity for the Suffering Souls" by Rev. John A. Nageleisen, p. 235, TAN ed.


"The dead are aided by alms, by the prayers of the Church, and by the Sacrifice of the Mass."-St. Augustine

"Whosover prays for the Suffering Souls with the intention of helping them, imposes on them the obligation of gratitude and assistance."-Pope Adrian IV

INDULGENCES FOR THE POOR SOULS
(current regulations in force by Pope Benedict XVI)

I. On All Soul's Day (Nov. 2) a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit any parish church or public oratory and there recite on Our Father and one Credo.

II. On all the days from November 1 through November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed.

CONDITIONS FOR BOTH INDULGENCES:

1. Only one plenary indulgence can be gained per day.

2. It is necessary to be in the state of grace, at least by the completion of the work.

3. Freedom from attachment to sin, even venial sin, is necessary; otherwise the indulgence is only partial. (By this is meant attachment to a particular sin, not sin in general.)

4. Holy Communion must be received each time the indulgence is sought.

5. Prayers must be recited for the intentions of the Holy Father on each day the indulgence is sought. (No particular prayers are prescribed. One Our Father and one Hail Mary suffice, or other suitable prayers.)

6. A sacramental confession must be made within a week of completion of the prescribed work. (One confession made during the week, made with the intention of gaining al the indulgences, suffices.)

(Indulgence and Conditions statements courtesy of October FSSP newsletter)

All Saint's Day

Everyone understands that All Saint’s Day is November 1st, but how many Catholics really understand the point of All Saint’s Day? Here are few main reasons for the celebration of All Saint’s Day:

1. To give thanks to God.

2. To consider the holy example of the Saints.

3. To ask for intercession by the Saints.

4. To make up for any remiss in honoring the Saints on their particular feast days.

Ultimately, All Saints Day is a celebration of the men and women of God who have preceded us and are now enjoying heaven. Make a special point to recognize, honor, and meditate on the Saints and the examples they leave for us as a roadmap to heaven. Try and learn something new about your personal saint. Look at the life of your namesake. There are many good ways to honor the saints from which we descend in faith. We must however remember that they are there as examples. God does not “cookie cutter” saints. We must all look to the saints and then apply what we learn to our own life for our own time and in our own way. They show us the way, but we are not them. We must strive to live our own life not theirs. Blessed Pope John XXIII said it best:

“Practical experience has now convinced me of this: the concept of holiness which I had formed and applied to myself was mistaken. In every one of my actions, and in the little failings of which I was immediately aware, I used to call to mind the image of some saint whom I had set myself to imitate down to the smallest particular, as a painter makes an exact copy of a picture by Raphael. I used to say to myself: in this case St. Aloysius would have done so and so, or: he would not do this or that. However, it turned out that I was never able to achieve that I thought I could do, and this worried me. The method was wrong. From the saints I must take the substance, not the accidents of their virtues. I am not St. Aloysuis, nor must I seek holiness in his particular way, but according to the requirements of my own nature, my own character, and the different conditions of my life. I must not be the dry, bloodless reproduction of a model, however perfect…If St. Aloysius had been as I am, he would have become holy in a different way.”

Remember, we are saints in the making. Strive always for holiness and God will fill in the rest.

All Souls Day and Indulgences

Pray for the souls of priests.

First, remember that you can gain indulgences on All Souls and the days following.

Second, 5 November is a first Thursday. You can gain a plenary indulgence during this year for Priests.

Third, would it not be a good idea in this Year for Priests, during the week after All Souls, for this 1st Thursday, to pray in a special way for the souls of deceased priests?

May I recommend that you bring this up with your parish priests, who might make pulpit announcements this Sunday?

My thanks to Fr. Z for the idea.

Retreat

It is that wonderful time of year. The mid-terms are done and the term papers turned in (all for better or worse) and now it is time to look forward to finals. BUT!! Before we go there, there is a little treat. Three days of silence! AAAHHH! I can hear the silence ring in the ears now. No phone, no computer with its endless supply of e-mails, no textbooks, no 4:45 am wake-ups, no class, no echoing hallways, just blessed silence. All this and more! Included in this 3 day, 2 night package is a private bathroom and lots of time for prayer. OH JOY! OH RAPTURE! But wait…if you call in the next 15 minutes…


So, yes I am off to our quarterly 3-day retreat at the Cedar Creek Conference Center. This is a real gem of a place. For my long time (so to speak) readers, you will remember my comments and pictures of the place from last year. If you would like to see the pictures again (or if you haven’t seen them at all) click HERE. Remeber to give it a minute to load the pictures (there are 30 of them). This quarter our retreat director (we have a different director each time) is Fr. Jay Alvarez of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei. I hear he is wonderful so I am looking forward to the conferences.

I will keep each of you in my prayers this weekend and I ask that you also pray for me as I take time to encounter Our Lord. May God bless you. See you next week!

What a resume

Member of a board of a group that supports abortion services.

Ignores Church teaching.

Ignores the mandate of Catholic bishops.

Supports scandalous plays in an academic atmosphere.

Ignores Ex corde Ecclesiae.

Gives awards to pro-abortion politicians.

So what is this person qualified for? President of a Catholic University? Of Course!

Once again Notre Dame leads the way. Yes, Jenkins was appointed to a second 5 year term as President of Notre Dame. Unbelievable! So very disappointing!

I had held out some small hope that Jenkins was just working on his own. Unfortunately, this latest move by the trustees endorses all of his actions and makes them morally culpable with him. I must admit that, at least for the present, Notre Dame is lost. It can no longer be called a Catholic university. What a tragedy! If only they would remove the name.

Reunification

After many centuries of seperation, there is great joy and anticipation in the the Church today. Today great strides were made to bring our Anglican brothers home after their seperation from Rome in 1534 during the reign of King Henry VIII. Of course this comes from many years of hard work and there is much work yet to be done; nevertheless, this is truly a momentous occasion. I give you, below, the report directly from the Holy See Press Office.

VATICAN CITY, 20 OCT 2009 (VIS) -Today’s announcement of the Apostolic Constitution is a response by Pope Benedict XVI to a number of requests over the past few years to the Holy See from groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full visible communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and are willing to declare that they share a common Catholic faith and accept the Petrine ministry as willed by Christ for his Church.


Pope Benedict XVI has approved,

Another Undeserved Accolade

My morning routine usually starts between 4:45 and 5:00. After my morning offering and prayers, shower, etc. I usually sit down for a few minutes with my coffee and peruse the news. This morning, what to my wandering eyes did appear, but the following headlines:

US President Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

(AP) – 2 hours ago

OSLO — The Norwegian Nobel Committee says U.S. President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

I thought maybe this was a joke or I was dreaming (read nightmare) and so I went directly to the news site – here: Associated Press Article No, this was unfortunately all too real. So I thought I would reflect a bit on this.

In his 1895 will,

Father John Corapi

As promised, today's blog is about Fr. John Corapi, this blog's guest speaker. This information was taken directly from Fr.'s website. For you who may not know him (and even if you do) you will find this very interesting.

Father John Corapi is what has commonly been called a late vocation. In other words, he came to the priesthood other than a young man. He was 44 years old when he was ordained. His experiences prior to ordination have been termed simply astounding, but that is probably somewhat of an overstatement. They might be called extreme, however. From small town boy to

A Guest Speaker

One of the strengths we have, and should promote, as Catholics is a sense of community. As brothers and sisters in Christ we support and help each other as we strive for our common goal of eternal life in the beatific vision. We are our brother’s keeper. To this end, one of my fellow Catholic bloggers has started a wonderful program. You may visit his site at http://www.fallibleblogma.com/. He is calling it the “Support a Catholic Speaker Month and Favorite Catholic Speaker 2009 Results” program. Here is what he says about it:

I thought it would be really cool if we could do a joint promotion effort of a lot of the great Catholic speakers out there and the many Catholic blogs. Introducing…Support a Catholic Speaker Month.

The full article can be found here HERE. I thought this was a wonderful idea and wanted to participate. To this end I wrote Matt and was lucky enough to be assigned Fr. John Corapi as a guest speaker. I will from time to time feature an article, interview, or other item by Fr. Corapi in lieu of my own ponderings. Fr. Corapi’s webpage can be found at http://www.fathercorapi.com/ . My next blog will profile Fr. Corapi. As many of you know, he is a wonderful homilist and one of my favorite speakers.

I am very excited about this project. Over the next couple of weeks, I will be adding a permanent page to this blog where you can find links to other catholic blogs. I highly encourage you to visit these blogs and speakers. They are a wonderful resource.

To go directly to my post about Fr. Corapi

Click Here

To go to the main page of my blog for the most recent posting

Click Here

Ember Days

As we have just concluded the celebration of Ember Days and I have had several questions regarding Ember Days, I thought I would post an article about these wonderful penitential days of the Church. I hope that you will find the article helpful and informative.

The Glow of the Ember Days

By Michael P. Foley

The Four Seasons

The Ember days, which fall on a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the same week, occur in conjunction with the four natural seasons of the year. Autumn brings the September Embertide, also called the Michaelmas Embertide because of their proximity to the Feast of St. Michael on September 29. Winter, on the other hand,

One Month Down

So the first month of year two has come and gone and I am off and running. Classes are going well although I am finding Latin to be a bit challenging. Rote memorization isn’t really my thing, but there is just no other way to learn the declensions and conjugations. Oh well, this too shall pass.

The first soccer game of the season was rained out. A little disappointing, but there is good news; we will be getting new goals for the field. Now for many of you, you are wondering what the big deal is. Well, until now we have been using steel

Day 2

Today is the second day of classes at the seminary. I have now been to all of my classes once and it looks like it is going to be an exciting but intensive semester. I am taking Metaphysics (not what is commonly thought of as metaphysics but Aristotelian Metaphysics), Philosophy of God (not His but ours), Church History (this is going to be great; 2,000 years packed into 28 weeks…Oh Joy!!), Modern Philosophy (cause we need to study more Kant, Hume and Locke…I just Kant take any more… OK so that was really bad) and Latin (in case I run into anyone from 79 AD…Pompeii anyone?). But seriously, I am looking forward to the classes. I have great instructors and I always like a good challenge.

On another note, I received my parish assignment yesterday and met my pastor today. I am assigned to St. Mark’s Church with Msgr. Hambrough. I am including a link to the parish website. St. Mark's Church The church is an old monastery and also has a K-8 school. It should be a great assignment.

Since I have about 36 pages of reading yet to do, I’ll end for now. Thanks for all the support. I’ll meet you at the tabernacle.

Your Servant in Christ

And So It Begins

And so as the new academic year begins I start a new blog. I have moved to Blogger.com in an attempt to make my blog more user friendly. This blog allows me to have pages instead of all of the content on one ENDLESS page. I hope that you will find this helpful and more enjoyable. Additionally, I have made the pages open in new windows so that you may enjoy the music while you browse and also be able to refer back to previous areas.

I will attempt (once again) to update this blog once or twice a week. I hope that as I progress through the year I find interesting thing of which to write. I will be starting in a couple of days to recount my summer exploits at Holy Apostles Church. This will include some photos, so be sure to visit the photo page.

And so it has begun... Look around the site and let me know what you think. There are comment boxes on each page/post. I hope you all have a blessed remainder of 2009 and I ask you all to continue to keep me in your prayers as I journey forward.

May God bless each of you abundantly.
Your servant in Christ

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Photos

Cedar Creek Retreat 2008

Kenrick Glennon Seminary

Father-Son Retreat to Buena Vista, Colorado

Pike's Peak Cog Railway

Vocation Trip to Denver

Venice, Italy

Fire Department Pics

Fun Stuff

THE END OF THE WORLD? REALLY? COULD IT BE?

OR



The Official Countdown

St. Louis Current Information

Here you will find the weather, time, tourist info, and much more. I look forward to meeting you in St. Louis. Please scroll down for the information.

Current St. Louis Time

St. Louis Tourist Information (click here)





Missouri Botanical Gardens (click here)


The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis (click here)


The St. Louis Zoo(click here)


Map of St. Louis(click here)


The St. Louis Cardinals Baseball(click here)


The St. Louis Rams Football(click here)


Budweiser(click here)

Great Websites

Futurepriest.com
This is the web site for the seminarians of the Colorado Springs region.

The Vatican
This is the site for the Holy See (The Vatican)

The Diocese of Colorado Springs
Website for the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

Holy Apostles Catholic Church
This is the website for my parish.

Colorado Springs Vocations Website
The vocation website for the Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs.

Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
This is the seminary I attend in St. Louis, MO.

Cardinal Glennon College
This is the college that is attached to the seminary I attend in St. Louis, MO.


The Colorado Catholic Herald
The newspaper for the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

Once Catholic
Do you have friends or family members who have left the Church? Tell them about OnceCatholic.org. Lapsed Catholics can find a list of welcome home programs, FAQs and pastoral guidance through this interactive Franciscan outreach community.

Catholic Answers
The largest lay Catholic apologetics ministry in North America. A great place to answer all your questions about the Catholic faith.

The Coming Home Network
This is a great website for pastors and laymen of other traditions (Protestant, Orthodox, etc..) who are somewhere along the journey or have already converted to the Catholic Church. It is also great for Catholics to have their questions answered.

Eternal Word Television
This is the website for Catholic Television.

Catholic On-Line
A Great Site for catholic news, articles, shopping, travel, e-mail and much more

American Catholic
A great website for saints, minute meditations, movie reviews and much more.

U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States.

The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology is a non-profit research and educational institute that promotes life-transforming Scripture study in the Catholic tradition. The Center serves clergy and laity, students and scholars, with research and study tools.

About Me

I was born in Tucson, Arizona and shortly thereafter my father, a major in the United States Air Force, was killed in action over Pleiku, South Vietnam. I was raised by my mom with help from her parents.

In school I excelled in both studies and social activities and was active in Church. I graduated High School with a 3.75 GPA, was awarded two scholarships, and named in the Who's Who of American High School Students. Upon graduation from high school I attended a community college and earned an Associate of Arts degree.

I then moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of California Los Angeles with a double major in International Relations and International Law. While attending College, I worked for Schaffer Ambulance.

I enlisted in the Air Force and worked as a firefighter/paramedic. While in the Air Force I traveled extensively throughout Europe and Southwest Asia. I served in numerous operations including Desert Storm 1, Provide Promise, the Bosnian Conflict, Operation Joint Guard and others. I served in positions both in NATO and with the United Nations. I was also selected as a member of the space shuttle Rescue and Recovery team. There is a saying that "there are no atheists in foxholes" and it was during my missions, most especially the Desert Storm conflict, and the Khobar Tower bombing, that I really started regaining my faith and conviction in the Catholic Church and in my Savior, Jesus Christ. It was also during this time that I made a firm and conscious decision, over and above my confirmation; I wanted to belong and remain a practicing and true member of the Roman Catholic Church. My last duty station was Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

During my career in the United States Air Force, I was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant and received numerous awards, medals, unit and organizational citations, and personal awards. I look back on my career in the United States Air Force and realize that God provided me the opportunity to return to and deepen my faith, see the world, experience other peoples and cultures, and provide me with a belief system and discipline that will sustain me for the rest of my life.

After leaving the military, I worked for a mortgage company for a little over a year before I was offered a position as a loan officer for TCF Bank. I also continued my firefighting career by volunteering with Tri-Lakes Monument Fire, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department Hazardous Materials Team and several other local departments. I was happy to work shifts during my off time and responded when needed. I was also involved in several military veterans groups.

My tenure with TCF Bank was successful and I found myself where I never expected to be. I started out as a loan officer and within the first year was asked to manage the first freestanding TCF Bank in the state of Colorado. That branch grew from $50,000.00 to in excess of $12 million in four years. This significantly exceeded the model for a new branch as set forth by the company. I was eventually promoted to the position of regional manager. Thereafter, I was promoted to Vice President and was asked to open and head a new department for the bank. Within five years of starting at the bank, I found myself the Vice President in charge of Bankruptcy/Foreclosure/REO Properties for the state of Colorado. Remembering that I had no experience or training in this career field prior to starting with the bank, I can only thank God for my success.

In November of 2005, I again started considering the priesthood. This time was quite different from all the other times (since age 12) that I had considered the priesthood. By February of 2006 I knew I had to talk to someone about this call that was getting stronger and stronger and wouldn't let me rest. I sat down after a Sunday Mass with my pastor. He directed me to speak with Father Jim Williams the vocation director. Over the next three years I followed the direction of my spiritual and vocation directors to discern my call to the priesthood. As I was previously married, I also went through the annulment process during this time.

Once again I have placed my entire life in God's hands. I sold my home as well as most of my belongings in anticipation of entering the seminary. As I reflect back upon my life I realize that God has always guided my path in life whether I realized it or not; whether I wanted Him to or not. I realize that He has always placed good people in my life to help me and support me. He provided a strong foundation with my Mother and Grandparents to form my faith in a strong and resilient way. I find the common thread throughout all of my careers and jobs is a desire to help others. I realize that the directions I have taken, and the careers I have chosen, have provided me with the experience that I will need to be a good priest, a good counselor, and work for the greater glory of God. It is with great humility and deep gratitude that I look upon my life and thank God for the provisions, people and guidance He has granted. I pray that He will continue to guide me and provide me with the graces needed to heed His call. I now attend Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO and I look forward to the next chapter in my life with great expectation and anticipation. It is with humility and gratitude that I look forward to being a priest in the Roman Catholic Church.