Bio
Where are you from?
Oklahoma City, OK
How many places have you lived? Where were they?
Several places:
Oklahoma City, OK
Grand Rapids, MI
Fort Worth, TX
Irving, TX
St. Louis, MO
Lubbock, TX
How big is your family?
I have three sisters and two brothers, and I am number four out of the six.
Are you a convert or “cradle” Catholic?
I am a cradle Catholic. My whole family is Catholic. The main reason I stayed is that the Church is the one true faith. The more I learned about the Church in college and since, the more I want to grow closer to Jesus.
When growing up, what were some of your favorite activities?
I enjoyed playing soccer but also going to movies and playing Magic: The Gathering. I still have plenty of Magic cards today.
What did you do prior to entering the Order? What made you choose that path?
Prior to entering, I worked as a traveling representative for an insurance company. After college I wasn’t sure what it was I wanted to do, I took a job with an insurance company because it was very flexible and I enjoyed travel. Through this job, I was able to see many parts of the country.
What is your favorite music? Band? Or another form of entertainment?
I like pop and rock music and I’m not too picky. I like the Goo Goo Dolls, Ke$ha, and most everything in between.
What is your favorite form of literature? Your favorite book? Why?
I like to read memoirs. My favorite book is called ‘A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,’ written by my favorite author, Dave Eggers. I like memoirs because they usually honest while also being entertaining.
What do you do for fun? What is your favorite pastime?
My favorite pastime is traveling and going to the movies. I will watch almost any movie and I really enjoy visiting new places.
What’s the funniest moment of your life? The most embarrassing?
One of the funniest moments happened about a month after I was ordained a priest. I was the chaplain to a mission trip of college students to Honduras. After spending about 10 days together we had gotten to know each other fairly well. At our last Mass together, the students and I started laughing just before the homily for no real reason. We laughed for about 10 minutes before we could continue.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I would very much like to visit New Zealand – Lord of the Rings and Flights of the Conchords!
What is the one thing that annoys you the most?
Bad breath
Vocation Story and Discernment
How old were you when you first thought/felt you might be called to the priesthood?
I was probably in Middle School when I first considered the priesthood as a possibility, but it wasn’t until college that I took that calling more seriously.
Did someone else in your life also see that you might be called? Did someone in your life inspire you?
Others did tell me that I would make a good priest.
What finally made you actively discern?
The chaplain at my college was very joyful and his example and presence on the campus drew to me consider the priesthood more and more.
What drew you to the Dominicans?…to the Southern Province?
I was always interested in religious life, not the diocesan priesthood. What drew me to the Dominicans was community life, where prayer is together with your brothers, and study is taken seriously. What drew me to the Province of St. Martin de Porres (Southern Province) was the preaching of the friars, but also the missionary outlook of the Province — the Southern US is not the most Catholic of regions.
Was there an “aha” moment in your discernment? If so, how far along were you in discernment when you experienced it?
There wasn’t a big “aha” moment, it was a gradual realization that being a Dominican priest is what God wanted for me.
What was the hardest thing you gave up when joining the Order?
Probably the hardest thing was knowing that I could no longer do or go wherever I wanted when I wanted.
Was there ever a time in discernment when you doubted God’s presence, power, or even existence?
There were many times in my discernment that I wanted God to be clearer and more direct. While I never doubted God’s existence, there were times that I felt he was very impersonal, very removed. I still went to Sunday Mass, but it was more out of a moral sense than for any reason of worship.
Looking back, what has been the greatest joy?…the greatest challenge?…the greatest disappointment?
The greatest joy has been working with people but also leading or guiding them to Christ through the sacraments, but also through one-on-one meetings.
The greatest challenge is that of community life.
The greatest disappointment has been witnessing people leaving the Church or not growing in their faith because of past hurts.
How do the people you’ve known since before you were a friar (e.g., family and old friends) relate to you now? How would they describe you, then and now?
Friends and family relate to me basically the same. The major difference is that now we talk about the faith more than before I was a friar.
What is your dream ministry?
My dream ministry would be either campus ministry or teaching and then preaching in various places throughout the summer.