My First Act of Public Preaching!
This past Saturday evening I performed my official first act of public preaching! I was invited to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in my diocese this weekend for their parish novena leading up to the Solemnity of the Assumption. Their novena ended yesterday and it involved a sermon on a…
Same church. Same cassock. Same beard. Different summer.
Been 3 years and now back at the same parish where I spent my first ever seminarian summer assignment, Our Lady of the Lake in Hendersonville, TN in my diocese. This time 3 weeks instead of 2 months but I will be back for Christmas and Holy Week next year. (Left: 2019/Right: Now) And way…
A Summer in Italy! – Rome Experience: Florence
Last week I began part 1 of my summer assignment on a program called the Rome Experience. This program involves traveling to Florence, Bracciano, and Rome, Italy/Vatican to see the beauty, history, and inner life and workings of the heart of the Church. The past week we were in Florence and saw many of the…
4 Down, 2 To Go: Second Theology Year of Seminary Complete!
Last week I came home, turned in one last (late) assignment, and completed my second theology year of seminary! That makes 4 years of seminary complete and only 2 more to go. This past year was the last one that I will begin as a layman and end as a layman. This marks a crucial…
Installed as Acolyte
By the Grace of God Almighty, I took one more step towards ordination and to the priesthood tonight at the seminary along with a bunch of other guys. During Mass I received the Ministry of Acolyte by installation. This is the step by which I am now officially deputized by the Church to assist the…
Marking 1 Year As Instituted Lector
Today marks nearly a year of being an instituted Lector for the Church! It has been great proclaiming the Word of God for the People of God! Though, we are all familiar with people at our parishes who volunteer to proclaim the readings at Mass; many of us have probably took part in this task…
Christ has been presented at the temple! Indeed, He has been presented at the temple! And Classes begin again.
Happy Feast of the Presentation of our Lord! Today the seminary gather outside the chapel for the solemn prayers, blessing, and procession before Mass. The Lord was presented. We presented ourselves before the Lord at the Eucharist. Then we went to present the Lord in our various ministries (Wednesdays are the days we go and…
Seminary Update: More Years Behind Than Ahead of Me!
Seminary Update: And with that last final (late, if I’m honest lol) paper turned in this morning the Fall semester is done for me, and I am now 2.5 years away from priestly ordination (God willing) in terms of semesters left! 1.5 years away from deacon ordination, which is closer. This is an important step…
Pray For These New Candidates for Holy Orders!
This past Thursday we had a very important and awesome development in the journeys of some of the seminarians here towards the priesthood. A good number of guys were admitted to Candidacy! Though he is still not a cleric, these man take on a canonical status, as Candidacy is mentioned in the Code of Canon…
A Great Start To Respect Life Month!
Happy Respect Life Sunday! October is National Respect Life Month, and the guys and I at the seminary kicked it off right yesterday. A group of us took up our rosaries and made a trip over across state lines to Louisville to the abortion clinic there and engaged in spiritual combat against the evil that…