The journey of discernment

The first time that I can recall thinking of the priesthood was when I was maybe in about the second or third grade. I attended elementary school at St. Francis de Sales in Houma, and I can recall one day after a school Mass thinking of being a priest. This would be the only time I would think of the priesthood until I graduated from Vandebilt Catholic High School in Houma in 2015. As I was considering what path to take in life during my senior year at Vandebilt, I was originally planning on pursuing a degree in electrical engineering, yet during this time, my faith was starting to truly grow. I would occasionally attend daily Mass during that school year, and I began to go to confession on a more regular basis. Concurrent with the initial growth in my own spiritual life, I began to read Scripture more on my own and try to pray as best as I could as a high school student.

What really first encouraged me to take my own faith more seriously around that time in my life was reading Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. To sum up the impact of this book for me, it helped me reflect on the question of who Jesus really is, and that he does truly desire to be in a relationship with us. Not long after reading this apologetical book, I learned about topics on how the talk about the faith with others. This included topics on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist from the perspective of Scripture, the relationship of Scripture and Tradition, and performing works in connection with faith. During this time of seeing a much more serious and intellectual side of Christianity, I was led to take the sacraments, faith and prayer, much more seriously. Ultimately, this comes into the decision of my future.

From this time onward, the idea of the priesthood kept coming back to my mind. I was not originally sure what to do with this thought of maybe trying to become a priest. At the end of my senior year of high school, I attended a “Come and See” weekend discernment retreat in which the idea of becoming a priest was becoming clearer. While my discernment kept pointing me toward entering seminary, I was still hesitant to make the final decision, and I went to study engineering for a year. It was during this year of college that the idea of entering the seminary only became stronger over time as I was beginning to realize that I needed to at least try seminary.

Before I long I was applying to seminary, and in the fall of 2016, I was a sophomore at St. Joseph Seminary College (St. Ben’s). After three years at St. Ben’s, I was asked to study theology at the North American College in Rome, where I moved in the fall of 2019. While transitioning to Rome, my prayer shifted, and I was no longer discerning the vocation to the priesthood so to speak but more intentionally preparing for the priesthood itself at that stage in my formation. At that point, I was firm in my own resolve and commitment to becoming a priest for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux if it be the will of God and his church. At this point as a transitional deacon, I am incredibly grateful for being accompanied and helped by so many as I am now on the doorstep of my priesthood ordination.