Since the time I was young I always enjoyed praising the Lord, during both the Catholic Mass and Lutheran services. You see, my mother is Catholic and my father is Lutheran. I was baptized Catholic, and they decided to raise me Catholic. Things got interesting when my parents decided where to send me for school. They wanted me to receive a Christian education; my parish's grade school started with first grade and my father's church taught from kindergarten up. It was decided that I was to receive my kindergarten instruction from my dad's church and then I would transfer into my parish's school.

When it came time to register me for 1st grade however, my parents decided to keep me in the Lutheran school since I had already made many friends. I attended Catholic Religious Education Classes. Over the next few years I received my First Communion and went to Mass every Sunday, except when I went to services with my dad. During this time, I became more involved with my parish and less interested in the Lutheran service. After completing the seventh grade I decided that I wanted to receive my education from a public school, and I did from that point on until graduation.

Divine Providence from our Lord is the only explanation for my love of the Catholic faith. As a child I enjoyed receiving knowledge of both religions, but as I entered my early teenage years I dedicated myself to the Catholic Church and could not be happier with my decision. God has blessed me with many Graces.

After graduating from High School I was very confused as to what to do for a career. I had a scholarship to play the trombone and another scholarship for entering an engineering program. I also thought about teaching, or being a Youth Minister. With my summer vacation already half over, with time winding down for my to decide what to do with the rest of my life, the Lord came to me. On a Saturday night during the summer I began to think about the priesthood out of the blue. The next morning, before Mass, I knelt down and said, "Lord, if you want me to be a priest, please send me a sign." Within an hour I received an answer to my prayer. During the announcements after Mass my pastor stated that we had a seminarian (Matt Camioni) assigned to our parish for the next few weeks. He continued by saying that anyone who has ever been interested in the priesthood should talk to him after Mass! I did just that and found myself in the seminary at the end of the summer.

Now I participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass daily, and love the opportunities to deepen my faith. I know that I can trust in the Lord with all of my being, and hope to serve as a member of His Royal Priesthood if it is His will.