Birthday: October 23, 1978
Ordination date: May 30, 2009
Reflections on One Year of Priesthood: "I really can't believe how quickly the year has flown by. It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating my first Mass at St. Martha's! I also had no idea how much fun I would have as a priest. It is better than I ever could have imagined. Of course there has been some very difficult days, but I know that the Lord gives me the strength I need to minister to the people he has called me to serve."
Biggest surprise in the first year: I knew that people loved their priests, but I didn't realize how much love is out there unitl I became a priest. The love, support, and encouragement from the people of God is INCREDIBLE. Sometimes, I hope my love for the people I serve warrants the kindness generated by the people.
How do you get your homily ideas? A lot of people ask me that. The Holy Spirit is the biggest factor in all the things I preach about. I try to spend half an hour a day during the week praying and reflecting on the readings. By the time Friday comes, I have lots of things I'd like to say about the scriptures. I take those to prayer and ask for guidance to share those things that the people need to hear the most.
Favorite childhood memory: Going to Disney World with his entire extended family from his mother’s side – his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, etc. His grandfather saved up enough money for everyone to go together – a total of 18 people went. Fr. TJ was 12 years old at the time. He remembers how funny it was that his grandmother insisted that everyone go on the “Small World” ride at the same time. They were too many on at one time and the ride got stuck. They had to wait to be rescued out of the ride.
Favorite prayer or favorite way to pray: The Mass is the best way to pray. We have been given a perfect prayer and my love for the Eucharist has continued to deepen since I get to celebrate Mass almost every day.
Thoughts on the state of Houston Sports: "It's going to be a long, hot summer for baseball. I'm looking forward to a competitive football team in Houston. It would be great for the city if the Texans could make the playoffs. It seems like a long time since one of our teams made a deep playoff run, so hopefully, we're due!"