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Seminary Life

Purpose:	Friendship, Networking
About Me:	When I was in the 8th grade at St. Charles School, I began discerning my call to service in the Roman Catholic Church. I started thinking about the priesthood while on a retreat at the Diocese of Orlando spiritual retreat center at San Pedro with Fr. Tom Barrett, the pastor of my parish. While on the retreat, Fr. Tom was sharing his vocation story with all of the 8th grade students. He told us that he was moving up in the company where he worked. But, everything changed when he stopped into a church and began hearing the call from God. Upon hearing this, a seed was planted within me. When I got to high school, the calling to the priesthood somewhat faded into my very hectic schedule. I became so involved with my studies and extracurricular activities that God's whisper was a little too soft. Even though I was not able to distinguish God's voice, I became increasingly involved with my spirituality throughout high school. I remained active in the Ministry of Altar Servers, even taking on the responsibility of coordinating the ministry, and became involved with the Choir, playing my trusty trombone. After high school, I entered college and it seemed the calling had made a transformation. I always knew that I would be involved in the community by providing some kind of a service to my brothers and sisters in Christ. By the end of my freshmen year in college, I began thinking about becoming a police officer, continuing that call to service. But, God made sure I got the right information. During the Lenten season of 2008, my calling was reaffirmed through the voice of a very inspirational Augustinian priest who was giving a retreat at St. Charles. The weekend before the retreat began, Fr. Michael Sullivan called me out of the congregation at the 7:30am Sunday Mass and asked me if I had ever contemplated the priesthood. Of course, my answer was yes, which I gave somewhat reluctantly. The seed that was planted in 8th grade began to blossom. After much prayer and contemplation, I began my application to the seminary. On June 11, 2008, my application was accepted and I entered St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami on August 7th. As I start my second year of seminary formation, I look forward to continuing to develop and deepen my relationship with the Lord. There are difficulties and immense challenges that will pop up along the journey; however with the help of our Lord and the help of my brother seminarians, I can overcome these challenges. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. May God bless each and every one of you. **Disclaimer: This page is not sponsored by the Diocese of Orlando and any communications or views on this page are only those of the individual author.
Confirmation Name:	Paul
Hometown:	Orlando

Saints:	St. Charles Borromeo, St. John Vianney, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Peter, St. Paul
Devotions:	Rosary; St. Charles Borromeo; Pope John Paul II, Servant of God
Charities:	ASPCA
Places:	Rome, Italy; Vatican City
Music / Groups:	Country
Sports / Teams:	Orlando Magic, Atlanta Braves
Quotes:	"The price of greatness is responsibility." - Winston Churchill “Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.” - Oscar Wilde “The future starts today, not tomorrow.” - Pope John Paul II "Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you, therefore no harm can befall you; all is very, very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence." - JPII “Great hesitation surrounds any life commitment. Those that are made are regularly broken. Judging the situation of others is not ours to do, but it is a regrettable fact of our times. True love does not shrink from commitment." - Fr. Thomas Barrett (Pastor, Nativity Catholic Church) "In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long." -Barack Obama (11/4/2008) "Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction." - J.F.K. "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men." - J.F.K. "If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." - J.F.K. "God by His grace has inspired me with the strongest resolution to realize always that my greatest good is whatever comes from His hand." -St. Charles Borromeo "The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." - Abraham Lincoln

Name:	St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Orlando, FL USA
My Role:	Altar Servers, Choir, Website, Youth Ministry
Time Period:	1988-03-01 to Present

Name:	Divine Mercy Catholic Church Merritt Island, FL USA
My Role:	Seminarian
Time Period:	2009-06-01 to 2009-08-01

Employer:	Catholic Diocese of Orlando Orlando, FL USA
Position:	Seminarian
Time Period:	2008-06-01 to Present

High School:

Olympia High School — Class of 2006

College:	Valencia Community College — Class of 2008
Concentration 1:	General Studies

College:	St. John Vianney College Seminary — Class of 2011
Concentration 1:	Philosophy