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First Anniversary of Priestly Ordination

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It was one year ago today that Fr. Victor and I were ordained to the priesthood. It was a whirlwind of events that lead up to my ordination, including running in the Pittsburgh Marathon Relay, taking final exams, graduating from St. Vincent Seminary (Latrobe, PA), preaching all the weekend Masses at Sts. John and Paul Church (Wexford, PA), flying back to Missouri, welcoming guests, and finally the ordination ceremony itself. All of those events took place in about 10 day’s time.

One year later, here we are. The year has definitely gone by quickly, filled with too many experiences and blessings to recount in entirety. The feelings of excitement have long faded, which is to be expected, but the deeper and more profound experiences of joy and gratitude remain strong. Thanks to my family, my friends, my monastic community, St. Vincent Seminary and Archabbey, Fr. Mac and the parishioners at Sts. John and Paul, and all who have supported me before and after ordination. God bless you all!
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Below: The group of parishioners from Sts. John and Paul who traveled the 900+ miles to attend my ordination. I am forever grateful for their support and encouragement.
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I was able to celebrate Mass every single day of my first year of ordination. In addition, I celebrated Mass in the following 11 states that I colored in below.

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