My Story (so far)

I am one of four kids. I have three sisters: Jill, Christine and Kelly. I studied Mechanical Engineering and worked as an Engineer for 8 years.  I was working as a Systems Engineer on the Navy’s Aegis Weapon System at Lockheed Martin in Moorestown, NJ and studying for a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. I had my plan: successful career, find a good wife, raise a family…pretty much what most guys were eventually looking for.

Then, I started volunteering as a Youth Minister at Sacred Heart Church in Mount Holly. One day in March 2001, a permanent deacon, Jim Casa, came up to me and said, “Pat, I think you should consider studying for the priesthood.” I was stunned and I asked him why he would say that. Jim said, “The Holy Spirit told me to tell you that.” After that I was dazed. I walked around my apartment complex crying and asking God if that was really what he wanted of me, because I already had my own plan.

When I calmed down a few months later, I began to consider the idea of becoming a priest. I joined a discernment group with the Diocese of Trenton and met with priests, heard their stories and met other men who were considering a vocation. By the end of the year, I felt ready for another step (but NOT leaving work and NOT entering seminary) so the Vocations Director, Fr. Mick Lambeth, invited me to live with him at Sacred Heart Church in Trenton and meanwhile I could continue working.  [Check it out the diocese’s vocations site:  www.godiscallingyou.com.]

I finished my master’s degree in May 2002 (I had taken a pause from dating until that was complete) and then moved into the parish. I lived there for a year with Fr. Mick and some men,  helping at masses, directing the RCIA program for people becoming Catholic and attending the monthly discernment group sessions while still working at Lockheed. Eventually, I was ready to leave work and apply to seminary. I remember a Thursday night and, after struggling to decide to fill out the application for the diocese for over a year, weighing the pros and cons and possible consequences,  I asked  myself a simple question: “do I trust Jesus?” When I answered, “Yes” I was able to fill out the application for the diocese and contemplate leaving work.

I entered Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in August 2003. My family helped me move into my 9’ x 12’ room with a shared bathroom and then they left.  I was left alone in the hallway wondering, “Ok, God, I left my apartment, dating and my career….it’s up to you now.”

I spent five years at Seton Hall and it was a great experience. Not easy, but it definitely changed me. I learned about myself, my God and my faith. I remember being interviewed by the Vice Rector (the #2 guy at the seminary) when I was about to start seminary and he asked, “So you think you want to be a priest?” I answered, “I don’t know, I think God is calling me to seminary, but I am not sure where this will go…” I took each year one at a time, trying to follow God’s will. And on May 17, 2008 I was ordained a priest. People said I was beaming and could not stop smiling during the whole ordination mass.

Fast forward 3 ½ years and I was sitting in a chair watching TV in early October 2011. I had received another advertisement for Air Force Chaplains and had put it on my dresser for later consideration. A graduate of the high school in my parish (where I am chaplain) had come back to the school to recruit for the Marines. I met him, another Toms River graduate Marine and their recruiter. We had talked about their experience so far and I had mentioned to the recruiter that I had thought about being a chaplain when I was in seminary. He had invited me to a Marines “Come and See” weekend for teachers. That night, sitting in the chair in front of the TV, I thought, “Wow, I’ve been ordained 3 ½ years. I can actually consider this again.” So, I went upstairs to my dresser and picked up the Air Force Chaplain brochure and started to read through it. [Air Force Chaplain site: www.airforce.com/chaplain/ ]

Back when I was in Seminary, I had talked to the Air Force recruiter who came to the seminary each year. The first year, I introduced myself and told him I had worked with the Navy’s Aegis program. He had asked if I was interested in chaplaincy, but I wasn’t really. I thought that I am more connected to the Navy anyway. The next year he came, I think I only said hello. The third year he came, however, I was sitting at the lunch table chatting with him and I asked him, “who are the people you minister to?” He replied that they were mostly 19 to 25 years olds. I thought to myself, “Holy crap, this is young adult ministry! These are the young adults that I DON’T see at Mass!” At that moment, I was filled with unexpected excitement. We chatted some more and he invited me to a 2 week “Come and See” type of program  for seminarians over the summer. I said I would think about it. I did not know where this excitement was coming from; it had caught me off guard.

I thought about it on and off for a little while and finally called up the recruiter and said I would like to go to the Come and See Program. The recruiter replied, “Pat, you are too late. It is January and you should have applied back in October/November.” God had closed a door that I thought he was guiding me too. At that point, I knew I would have to put the thought of chaplaincy on hold, because the following summer I would be a deacon and would not have the freedom to go to a two week chaplaincy program.

So now I was ordained 3 ½ years and I thought I could actually consider looking into the military chaplaincy.  I prayed about it. Then I went on the internet and read about chaplains. In November 2011, I emailed the Air Force and started getting some information about the “Come and Be with Us” tour. I was told that the next tour would be 30 Jan - 3 Feb 2012 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. I looked into the date and it was during Catholic Schools Week. Ugh. I am a high school chaplain, how could I take off during Catholic Schools Week? So I told the recruiter that I could not make that one. He told me there would be two more tours in Colorado Springs, CO, but didn’t have the dates yet. I thought that was odd and it seemed a long time to wait. I emailed some questions to start learning the details.

- What training is involved?

- What is the start up timeframe?
- What is the committment for the reserves?
- What is the typical active service length?
- Is active service like a diocese, where the bishop assigns you to places
based on need?
- Is there a regular length of time at a base?
- How do deployments work (notification, length of deployment, where)?
- What other questions do I need to be asking :) ?

In the mean time I was still thinking Navy. I had worked with the Navy. My dad was in the Navy in Vietnam. I learned when I visited the cemetery that his dad was in the Navy. But I kept pursuing the Air Force. I called and talked to a recruiter. I learned a bunch a things including that you could be assigned to any base in the world as your home base. I had thought that you stayed in the United States unless you were deployed. As I talked to him, I realized, I was excited about the chaplaincy and had always been interested in military things, however, I was not really excited about the Air Force specifically or the thought of being basically a parish priest on a base somewhere.

On November 11, I emailed my new bishop, Most Rev. David M. O’Connell, to ask if he was open to the possibility of releasing one of his diocese’s priests into the military. To be a military chaplain, one’s  bishop must endorse the priest and release him to the military. I was very happy to hear him say that he thought he should be generous and would be willing to send one priest to the military and I would be that priest. I told him I would be praying about it and asked for his guidance.

I also had visited a priest that I was in seminary with, Fr. Oscar Fonseca. Fr. Oscar had been in the Air Force before seminary and loved it. He was still in the reserves. And I found out he was just beginning to prepare to go into active duty.  We talked a while about chaplaincy and I felt very encouraged.

On November 22, I decided to go check out the Navy to compare.  Without a contact, I went to the Navy’s website and read a bit and found out the Navy Chaplains had a facebook page. So I went there and posted “Hello. Where can I find information about becoming a navy chaplain as a Catholic Priest? I am looking at navy.com/chaplain but this is generic. Thank you!” A chaplain recommended I email a chaplain recruiter, Fr. Joe Coffey. I emailed Fr. Joe and started a conversation asking him all kinds of questions over the next couple months. He gave me the names of other priest chaplains and I contacted them and heard their stories and asked a bunch more questions. (Maybe I will tell you about those conversations other time.) [Navy Chaplain Site: navy.com/chaplain Navy Facebook page: www.facebook.com/navychaplain ]

I was all very anxious about this path. I met with my spiritual director, Sr. Marcy Springer, and she helped me decide to take time to pray about this. So I decided to pray and discern and set up Ash Wednesday (February 22) to make a decision. I prayed using style discernment of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

My basic prayer was that all I wanted to do with my life was to be directed to the praise and glory of God. So if the Chaplaincy would accomplish that purpose, I would pursue it. If not entering the Chaplaincy would do it, then so be it. In reality, when you focus on God, really you can serve him in many ways, so then it is a matter of listening to your heart for which good path to choose.  I felt drawn to the chaplaincy and was excited and yet peaceful. I met with my bishop on Feb 16 and he gave me permission to pursue the chaplaincy.

Fr. Joe gave me an east coast Chaplain recruiter’s name (since Fr. Joe handles the west coast), Fr. Mike Mueller. Fr. Mike started the paperwork and found a local recruiter out of Philly, Lt. Mike Maher, to help me put together the application. On March 29, I met with Lt Mike to start the application. We have been working on it for 3 months.

So here I am. Application package almost complete. Gonna wait to be invited to the Chaplain review board in July. Pray for me!

Check out this video from the Navy Chaplain FB: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0tbdcPzBa4