In college, everything changed – especially during the Covid years. I found myself prompted to evaluate my life. This searching led me to God, and after twelve years away from the Church, I went back to confession for the first time. The result of this Reconciliation was dramatic and immediate:  the weight of my past, the years of drifting, hurting, and hiding… all of it was lifted in an instant. It was like coming to life after years of merely existing. I completely surrendered to God then and there.

I hungered for the truth, which I found in prayer, the Church and the sacraments. I experienced a deep joy I hadn’t known was possible. Suddenly, faith was no longer just part of my life, but my entire life. God was no longer a distant idea, but a present, living reality.

On a weekend retreat with a religious community, I began to seriously discern a vocation to the priesthood. As I participated in prayer with the friars and witnessed their joy, reverence, and purpose, a vocational call from God pierced my heart and I knew I was finally on the right path.

The Lord led me to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, a community of priests dedicated to the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass. The Institute focuses on restoring Catholic culture and bringing souls to Christ through beauty, reverence, and fidelity to tradition.

In addition to the sacraments, the Institute also emphasizes building strong communities around the Church. Their priests are committed to pastoral care, teaching, and living in the heart of the Church. I feel called to be part of this restoration and to serve Christ by bringing the light of tradition and the warmth of the Gospel to a world desperately in need of both.