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I was born in St John's, Newfoundland and when I was in high school
at Brother Rice High School in St Johns, Newfoundland
I greatly admired the Christian Brothers
and had thought that I would become a Christian Brother. I remember coming home
one day
and saying to my parents
I said: Mom and Dad, I think I'd like to become a Christian Brother
and they were quite happy as they would be.
And the next day I came home and i said
no I don't think i want to be a Christian Brother
and they were still quite happy.
I was fifteen at the time and first-year university
at Memorial University
It's like i forgot the whole question of religious life
of priesthood
even though during high school I've felt that there's something about
religious life that was attracting me.
I couldn't put words to it and I still can't in some way.
I was a bit of a science geek
and all my life actually
and so I started the forest science, forestry program
at Memorial University
and it was linked with the University of New Brunswick, then after New Brunswick
I went to the University of Florida, and it was there while at the
University of Florida
that things started to happen.
At UNB, I was quite involved in campus ministry would attend
daily Mass and retreats on a regular basis.
But it wasn't until
I was at the University of Florida
that the question of religious life came to the for quite strongly
and I was going steady at the time
and I thought that marriage would be my normal route and I'd go on to
get my doctorate
get married and live happily ever after.
Well, that wasn't to be.
So it was when I finished at the University of Florida with my Masters
that's when I decided to look seriously at the religious life again.
In particular, the Holy Cross Fathers,
they had a day of recollection
for people maybe thinking of religious life I can't remember the reason why
I remember going to it and then at the end of the day, one of the priest turned to me and said
John, how long have you been thinking of the priesthood
and I almost
fell off my chair and choked at the same time. We were having lunch together.
I remember
and I had to admit to him that i had been thinking about the priesthood,
and I had to admit to myself that I needed to deal with this question.
So I went home went back to the apartment, and took out the bible, and I've only done
this only once
I've never done it since and I just opened it up
I put my finger down on one of the pages,
and it was one of the Gospels I can't remember which one
where Peter says to Jesus: Lord, we left all to follow you, what are we to gain
in return, something like that
and so I immediately closed the book and
closed the bible.
That kinda started then several years of discernment. It was quite
a difficult time in my life
trying to decide
between two goods. Should I be married?
Should I enter religious life? In particular, should I enter the Jesuits?
I was particularly attracted to the Society of Jesus
I don't know why really but
there's just something about their love of study
it just seem so normal it just seemed to fit and
fit my own skin my whole body, if you will.
And so when I came back to Newfoundland, I knew there was a Jesuit community in St John's
and so I knocked on their door one day and said to them, I'd like to do the Spiritual Exercises,
not knowing anything about the Spiritual Exercises
and so they talked with me
entertained my questions for a few times and then I was sent to Guelph.
Guelph, Ontario, to do an eight day retreat.
I remember at end of the retreat, it was Father John Veltri who has since passed away
One day toward the end of the retreat, he showed me a quote, the response to
the question "what does it mean to be a Jesuit?" To be a Jesuit is to know that one is a sinner
yet called by God
to follow God in the name of Christ something like that
and so as soon as I read this and i just
kinda broke down in tears before him. I just realize that every moment in some way
that i knew I had to look at Society of Jesus. And so at the end of the retreat,
I began my application process.