Student and Novice Bios

Mr. Mark Alblinger -- Novice

Vocation Story: My vocation goes back to 7th grade. While attending Our Savior’s School in Cocoa Beach Florida, we had a career day...parents of various students in my class showed up and described in detail what they did for a living, and how they were important to the community as a whole. Since it was a parochial school, our pastor, Fr. Richard Walsh, and his associate, Father Henry, talked for about an hour on the ups and downs, the ins and outs of their profession. Both spoke very eloquently about their own vocations, and after they had finished, asked us..."think for a minute...could you see yourself performing a vital and much needed ministry such as this?" I thought for a bit, and decided, "Yes, I could!!" 

 

 

 

Rich Andre, CSP – Deacon Year

Vocation Story:  I never thought about being a priest until I was 27 years old. I had been working very happily as an optical engineer. (No, optical engineers do not work at LensCrafters.) Then, while singing with the Diocesan Choir at an ordination, I had a "lightning bolt" experience. My sister, who belongs to the St. Thomas More Newman Center, first suggested I talk with the Newman Center priests, the Paulists. I don't take advice from my sister, so I didn't talk with the Paulists for three years. My sister is having the last laugh now, since I was assigned to the Newman Center for my pastoral year. (I guess the Holy Spirit was speaking through my sister. Imagine that!) I'm growing in my vocation to the Paulists every day. It just keeps getting better and better. 

 

 

Mr. Matt Berrios – Novice

Vocation Story:  Although I had many "warning signs" of a possible vocation when I was a child, I did not discernibly feel a possible calling to the priesthood until later in high school. It began as a small feeling that arose out of the blue one day during my high school religion class. This feeling kept growing and growing all throughout the rest of high school and college. Further, the harder I tried to ignore it, the more forcibly it returned. I did not begin giving serious consideration to the idea of priesthood until I was a junior in college. When I finally opened up to the possibility, my first thoughts immediately went to the Paulists because of what I knew of them and their mission through the priests in the Grand Rapids house. From there it was just a matter of contacting the vocations director and beginning the process.

 

 

Craig Campbell, CSP - Second Theology

Vocation Story: I lived in seven different metro areas throughout my childhood and young adult life. I have had a lot of experience with different people and environments. I am a cradle Catholic and have never seriously drifted away from the Church, and attended 11 out of 12 years of Catholic School. I went to West Virginia University, where the Paulist Fathers performed the campus ministry, and graduated with a B.S. in Journalism. I worked in TV news for four years, attended graduate school, and worked other jobs to make ends meet. My paternal uncle is a parish priest in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and my father's first cousin is with the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill, so serving the Church is a family tradition. I have always had the thought of becoming a priest, but the call intensified about three years ago. The Paulist Fathers were always my first choice when it came to communities.

 

Mr. Ryan Casey – Novice

Vocation Story:  I was born and raised Catholic and was involved in youth ministry in high school where I first thought about exploring the priesthood. After high school I decided to explore my faith life by experiencing other religions and Christian denominations. These paths eventually lead me back to the Catholic Church. When I became involved again with my local parish the call to the priesthood became apparent in my life again.  I first heard about the Paulists through the BustedHalo radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio and the BustedHalo website. What I found there was a community of priests who want to show that the teachings of Jesus and the Church are relevant to our lives today. This was what attracted me to this community and why I am now a part of this novitiate class.

 

 

Rene Constanza, CSP - Deacon Year

Vocation Story: I started discerning the call to the priesthood while being principal of a diocesan high school. This role drew me closer to God and deepened my understanding of the beauty of my Catholic faith. A good spiritual director, a lot of prayer, and a day retreat at a Trappist Monastery helped put things into perspective. Providentially, while on that journey of faith, I was introduced to the Paulist Fathers by a vocation magazine and got to know more about the community through our website. The Paulist charisms of evangelization, reconciliation, and ecumenism, together with my discernment retreat weekend in Washington, DC and my experience of the vivid expression of fraternal support in the community, helped in cementing my decision to be collaborator and part of the Paulist family in giving the Word a voice in today’s culture.

 

 

Jay Duller, CSP - Second Theology

Vocation Story: I had never really considered a vocation to the priesthood for most of my life. However, I realized that my involvement in different young adult ministries I have been a part of have lent some evidence that I have a lot of energy to give to the church. One day a very good friend and very good Paulist seminarian said to me, “Haven’t you thought about the things you have done in your life and how that tells you that you have a vocation to the priesthood?” At that moment, my life really did flash before me and I did see how I put my faith as a priority. So for me, the call to priesthood is like God whispering something to me and as a novice I’m attempting to clearly understand what He is saying.

 

Tom Gibbons, CSP – Deacon Year

Vocation Story: Priesthood had been tapping me on the shoulder for a very long time. In many ways I had been discerning even when I wasn't officially discerning: dating, working as a web designer, paying a mortgage, going to church, etc. But then at some point it became time and the Paulists have been a great fit; they're a very down-to-Earth bunch of guys who are committed to serving God in this world through a variety of creative and dynamic ways. I'm very happy to be a part of this community.

 

 

 

Jimmy Hsu, CSP – Pastoral Year

Vocation Story: I first considered the priesthood after going to a youth retreat in 8th grade. It was always on my mind as I went though my high school years. When I entered The University of Texas in Austin, I met the Paulist Fathers, who serve at the campus ministry at Austin. I became active in campus ministry and got to know the Paulists well. The priests became my mentors and continued to encourage my discernment for priesthood. As I was graduating, I felt that I wanted to apply to enter the seminary. With encouragement from the Paulists in Austin, I chose to apply for the Paulist novitiate. I have found my novitiate to be very rewarding and hope that I continue to be guided through this path.

 

 

James Olague – First Theology

Vocation Story: Growing up in a strong Catholic household I felt the presence of the Church early on. My great grandmother took me to daily mass and introduced me to devotions such as the rosary. My Catholic identity was intertwined with my daily life. This might sound optimistic, but when I was a child I thought every church was Catholic. I later learned, however, that that was not the case and when my father left the Church when I was thirteen, I remember how sad I felt. It was then I rediscovered my faith that led me to the openness of the priesthood. At first I applied to my home Diocese of Phoenix. I went through three years of formation when I realized I didn’t have a sense of direction. When I discovered the life of Isaac Hecker, I felt a strong closeness with his life and a much needed sense of direction with the mission of the Paulists. I took some time off and earned a Masters degree in history at the University of Nevada, Reno while I discerned a Paulist vocation. I am glad that I made the decision to explore the Paulist possibility in the novitiate.

 

 

Mr. Steve Petroff – Novice

Vocation Story:  I've felt a call to the priesthood since I was young, but have spent much of my adult life running from it or making excuses. After years of spiritual wandering, exploration and struggling with my Catholic faith, I came to realize that God's love is bigger and more generous than I can imagine - and that this love includes me just as I am. I was drawn to the Paulists by their dedication to outreach, compassion and building bridges of inclusive communication among Catholics and beyond. The Paulist mission to meet contemporary culture on its own terms and present the Gospel in compelling, modern ways inspires and motivates me.

 

 

 

Mr. Stuart Wilson-Smith – Novice

Vocation Story:  Though I was baptized Catholic and attended Sunday school throughout my early years growing up in Fredericton, New Brunswick, I was also exposed to various expressions of Protestantism. As I embarked on a spiritual and intellectual quest in my teens to find where God was calling me, I found myself to be Catholic all over again and became eager to spread the joy and the sense of peace the faith had brought me with others. Through the years I've worked, travelled, studied, and dated, I've rediscovered the call to priesthood over and over again, and I am excited to now be pursuing that call further and seeing where my Paulist journey takes me.

Home   |   Locations  |   News   |  Evangelization   |   Ecumenism   |   Reconciliation   |   Young Adults   |   Give   |   Vocations   |   Contact

© Copyright 2012 Missionary Society of St. Paul

Site design by Symmetrical Design