To Be a Priest

Remembering, my senior year of college was a confusing time for me. My girlfriend and I had recently broken up and while I wanted desperately to get back out with her, I was at the same time living in two worlds. I knew what I had experienced in Medjugorje was real. The deep peace I had felt in Medjugorje and the miraculous events I experienced there had changed me; they had opened my eyes to the truth of God, Mary, the Church, Eucharist, etc. I was having trouble, however walking away from my former college party lifestyle. One day I wanted to give myself entirely to God and the next day I wanted to party.

After graduation I spent the summer working for the Church and attending daily mass. I became a Eucharistic minister at the invitation of Dottie Somboli and began visiting shut-in patients at the Spalding Rehab.

I asked Fr Ron Gliatti to be my spiritual director. He advised me to take the month of December to discern whether I should enter the Franciscans. I remember him saying you are never going to know unless you try.

During that month, I will never forget one visit. I walked into the room and saw an old, skinny tall, man lying in bed who was dying. We spoke for some time as he recounted his whole life and one by one, I identified with everything he said. He had one regret however; he had felt called to the priesthood and never answered the call. In reflecting on this in prayer I felt God was inviting me to become a priest. I imagined the boat was leaving the dock and all I could think of was to jump on it. I remember thinking logically that since God had gifted me with this life, and revealed himself to me, I wanted to return the favor and give my life back to Him. This did not seem so generous since giving him the next 70 or eighty years would be nothing in comparison to his promise of spending the rest of eternity with Him. I also had a powerful experience which confirmed that God wasn't the only one after my soul. This left me with a strong conviction to join the battle and fight the good fight.