The Harvest Continues

(ARCH)DIOCESE / RELIGIOUS

COMMUNITY: Diocese of Arlington

ARMED FORCES BRANCH: Navy RANK: LTJG

COLLEGE(S) / UNIVERSITY(IES) / SEMINARY(IES) ATTENDED (DEGREES AWARDED):

University of Notre Dame, B.S. in Biological Sciences Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, M.A.P.S. (MA in Philosophical Sciences)

HIGH SCHOOL(S) ATTENDED: Bishop Denis J. O’Connell, Arlington, VA

HOBBIES: Rock Climbing, Road Cycling, and Mountain Biking

TEAM SPORTS: Soccer

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME YOU THOUGHT YOU MIGHT HAVE A VOCATION TO THE PRIESTHOOD?

I first wanted to be a priest when I was about four years old.

WHO OR WHAT EVENTS INFLUENCED YOUR DISCERNMENT JOURNEY?

Saint Louis Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin and the form of Total Consecration to Mary that he describes there brought me so much closer to Jesus and Mary. They were the context in which I received my priestly calling.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE, WHY?

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Gal 2:20). In this sentence, St. Paul captures the whole Christian life. He describes the transforming power of the cross, the newness of life in Christ, and the overwhelming love of Jesus at the heart of this change.

HOW DID YOU COME TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST PERSONALLY?

I grew up in a very faithful Catholic home and learned the faith from a young age. During the summer between sophomore and junior year of college, I experienced great growth in my Catholic faith and relationship with Jesus.

WHAT SPIRITUAL EVENTS OR ACTIVITIES HELPED YOU DEVELOP AND SHARE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH?

Through Total Consecration to Mary, I drew close to Jesus. It was in this budding prayer life that I experienced the call to the priesthood.

WHAT SAINTS OR CHURCH LEADERS INSPIRED YOUR DISCERNMENT JOURNEY?

Saint John Paul II is my confirmation patron, and I have always greatly admired him. He incorporates a deep attentiveness to the human person, a rich prayer life, careful study, athleticism, an appreciation for the arts, and extraordinary courage into his priestly life. I hope to do the same.

WHAT WAS THE BACKGROUND BEFORE APPLYING TO BE A SEMINARIAN?

I did Naval ROTC at the University of Notre Dame. I studied biology in hopes of becoming a Navy doctor before I discerned a vocation to the priesthood and Navy chaplaincy.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

I just finished reading Dante’s Divine Comedy, which was an extraordinary experience. It is a must-read for sure. I am about to start The Lion of Munster: the Bishop Who Roared Against the Nazis, which is the story of Bishop von Galen.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPIRITUAL BOOK?

I love the True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin by St. Louis Marie de Montfort and St. Francis by G. K. Chesterton.

WHO ARE YOUR HEROES OR PEOPLE YOU SIGNIFICANTLY ADMIRE?

I greatly admire my dad, Chris St. George, and a Marine Corps pilot for 22 years. A priest is a spiritual father, and I am grateful to my dad for showing me what this means.

HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR PRAYER LIFE?

Scripture and the Rosary are the foundations of my prayer. Most recently, I have been deeply blessed to recognize and experience the extraordinary grace of baptism more deeply, which makes me an adopted son of the Father in Jesus. This is the foundation of my diaconal ministry and God-willing my future priestly ministry. V Summer 2021 | 35