| Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. -I Corinthians 4:1 |
Calling to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ
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A Life's Journey
In order to fully share my story, I
must go to the beginning. I grew
up in a home that was not unlike
many others, although it was not
perfect by any means, nor is any
family. When I was about four
years old, my mother developed
a brain tumor, which confined
her to a hospital bed in our home
and my father stayed home to
care for her, my brother, and
myself. When I was eight years
old, my father died of
alcoholism, his way to deal with
mom's sickness. I was, quite
naturally, devastated. For a long
time, I constantly asked God,
In order to fully share my story, I
must go to the beginning. I grew
up in a home that was not unlike
many others, although it was not
perfect by any means, nor is any
family. When I was about four
years old, my mother developed
a brain tumor, which confined
her to a hospital bed in our home
and my father stayed home to
care for her, my brother, and
myself. When I was eight years
old, my father died of
alcoholism, his way to deal with
mom's sickness. I was, quite
naturally, devastated. For a long
time, I constantly asked God,
“Why did you do this? How could you let this happen? What did I do to deserve this?” I
simply could not understand.
After my father died, my brother and I lived with our Dad’s sister, her husband, and her
four children. That made for quite a household, especially when you throw in three dogs,
several hamsters, a bird, and a cat. Just two short years later, Mom passed away in the
nursing home. I was again devastated. Again, the questions of “Why?” emerged from deep
within me. I could not grasp how God could take away the two most important people in my
life, especially when I was so very young.
But now, I look back on these two events that shaped my very being with gratitude. Not
because of the loss of my parents, but rather because of how I grew and matured as a result
of these losses. After Dad died, but especially after Mom, I began to pray to God, asking
Him for answers, for support, for love. And ever so slowly I began to feel the great love of
God and drew great comfort from that experience. When I was seventeen and went on my
first TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend in Quincy, I was able, for the first time, to really
let out much of the hurt and the pain that I had kept bottled up deep within my being. It felt
so good to be free of that pain after so many years. And with that release, the love of God
flowed through my body. I could truly feel the healing presence of God around me.
It was in these three experiences that I most deeply felt my call to the priesthood. This call
was further manifested in the person of Fr. John Beveridge, the pastor at St. John the Baptist
parish, the parish I grew up in, now All Saints parish, for fifteen years. Fr. John helped me
through these difficult experiences without even fully realizing he had done so. He was
always there for me from the moment I first arrived in the parish. As I grew, so too, did our
friendship. He was always there with a listening spirit, a compassionate heart, helpful advice,
a great joke, and an encouraging and loving sense to him. Without ever intending to, Fr.
John, in a way, slowly began to take the place of my father, and without even knowing he
had done so. Fr. John shared in all of my pains and in all of my joys.
My experiences of Fr. John’s loving care and concern for me, together with my experiences of
God’s deep love for me, began to foster within me a desire to serve God with all that I could.
This desire developed through grade school and especially into high school, as I began to
become more and more involved with the parish and with the TEC community. After my
TEC weekend, I could not decide exactly what I wanted to do with my life, whether I
wanted to teach history or become a priest. It was at this point of indecision that many
parishioners came up to me after many of the Masses I served and told me they thought I
would make a good priest. They never pushed or shoved, they simply commented. But even
with such affirmations, I still was not sure. At one point, I decided that I wanted to teach
history and yet, as is often the case with God, the desire of the priesthood never left me. It
was like a flashing light in the back of my mind screaming, “Hey, look at me!” And so I did. I
looked closer at, and prayed about, the priesthood and came to the conclusion that this is
God’s call for me: to be a priest. After I had made this new decision, the thought of teaching
history did not appeal to me any longer, and it still does not. After this decision, signs of
God’s call became more and more apparent. I grew more in love with helping at the parish
and in the TEC community, and this continued through my college years at Quincy
University as I devoted most of my time to Campus Ministry and RCIA. All through college,
the desire to serve God as a priest only grew. I then finished my studies for the priesthood
at the University of St. Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary.
And so, on the 28th of May 2005, I was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ for service in the
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
simply could not understand.
After my father died, my brother and I lived with our Dad’s sister, her husband, and her
four children. That made for quite a household, especially when you throw in three dogs,
several hamsters, a bird, and a cat. Just two short years later, Mom passed away in the
nursing home. I was again devastated. Again, the questions of “Why?” emerged from deep
within me. I could not grasp how God could take away the two most important people in my
life, especially when I was so very young.
But now, I look back on these two events that shaped my very being with gratitude. Not
because of the loss of my parents, but rather because of how I grew and matured as a result
of these losses. After Dad died, but especially after Mom, I began to pray to God, asking
Him for answers, for support, for love. And ever so slowly I began to feel the great love of
God and drew great comfort from that experience. When I was seventeen and went on my
first TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) weekend in Quincy, I was able, for the first time, to really
let out much of the hurt and the pain that I had kept bottled up deep within my being. It felt
so good to be free of that pain after so many years. And with that release, the love of God
flowed through my body. I could truly feel the healing presence of God around me.
It was in these three experiences that I most deeply felt my call to the priesthood. This call
was further manifested in the person of Fr. John Beveridge, the pastor at St. John the Baptist
parish, the parish I grew up in, now All Saints parish, for fifteen years. Fr. John helped me
through these difficult experiences without even fully realizing he had done so. He was
always there for me from the moment I first arrived in the parish. As I grew, so too, did our
friendship. He was always there with a listening spirit, a compassionate heart, helpful advice,
a great joke, and an encouraging and loving sense to him. Without ever intending to, Fr.
John, in a way, slowly began to take the place of my father, and without even knowing he
had done so. Fr. John shared in all of my pains and in all of my joys.
My experiences of Fr. John’s loving care and concern for me, together with my experiences of
God’s deep love for me, began to foster within me a desire to serve God with all that I could.
This desire developed through grade school and especially into high school, as I began to
become more and more involved with the parish and with the TEC community. After my
TEC weekend, I could not decide exactly what I wanted to do with my life, whether I
wanted to teach history or become a priest. It was at this point of indecision that many
parishioners came up to me after many of the Masses I served and told me they thought I
would make a good priest. They never pushed or shoved, they simply commented. But even
with such affirmations, I still was not sure. At one point, I decided that I wanted to teach
history and yet, as is often the case with God, the desire of the priesthood never left me. It
was like a flashing light in the back of my mind screaming, “Hey, look at me!” And so I did. I
looked closer at, and prayed about, the priesthood and came to the conclusion that this is
God’s call for me: to be a priest. After I had made this new decision, the thought of teaching
history did not appeal to me any longer, and it still does not. After this decision, signs of
God’s call became more and more apparent. I grew more in love with helping at the parish
and in the TEC community, and this continued through my college years at Quincy
University as I devoted most of my time to Campus Ministry and RCIA. All through college,
the desire to serve God as a priest only grew. I then finished my studies for the priesthood
at the University of St. Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary.
And so, on the 28th of May 2005, I was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ for service in the
Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.
| Servant and Steward |