Greetings in Jesus Christ! I'm very grateful to God and to our Bishop for this opportunity to be pastor for St. Patrick Catholic Church in Cottage Grove. My focus and priority as a pastor in these first months is to get to know as many of our parishioners as I possibly can. So to get started, let me tell you a little about me.

I'm the oldest child in a family of five children. We grew up in a few different places, but most recently, my family has belonged to St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison since 1994. We always attended mass on Sundays, and I can remember several good priests who took care of me and my family over the years.

My vocation to the priesthood began with a call that I heard as a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I made many friends at St. Paul's University Catholic Center. That church was where I learned to read and pray with the Bible every day. I developed a lively faith in Jesus Christ and a love for the Eucharist.

After resisting the call for a couple of years, I finally did apply to the seminary with the Diocese of Madison in 2003. As a seminarian, my devotion to Mary, the Mother of God, grew stronger, and I began to pray the rosary daily. In nice weather, I like to pray the rosary as I walk outside. If you see me walking in your neighborhood, stop and say hi! I also grew close to many of the saints like St. Alphonsus Liguori and St. Therese of Lisieux.

I was ordained to the priesthood in 2008, making this year my tenth anniversary of ordination. I was assigned parochial vicar at Sacred Hearts Parish in Sun Prairie. In 2011, I was parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo along with chaplain at Camp Gray for six months. In July 2011, I became pastor of St. Peter Parish in Ashton and St. Martin Parish in Martinsville, just north of Middleton and Cross Plains. In 2015, I became pastor of St. William Church in Janesville from where I now come to St. Patrick Parish. I am also active in ministering to the needs of Spanish speaking Catholics.

Our Heavenly Father has been so good to me as a priest. The deeper I am in His service, the more God blesses me in Jesus Christ. Lately, God has been affirming and building up my gifts as a loving and caring father and friend. My goal is to give my best self to you as a dependable friend. If any one would like to visit with me, or make an appointment for spiritual direction, my office will be open to you.