Meet the franciscans

Fun Fact: As a young friar I did mission work in Bolivia and Honduras, where I learned to speak Spanish fluently. 
 

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Living in a supportive community that is enthusiastic about living the Franciscan life centered on Jesus and the Church, while generously serving the poor and preaching and teaching the Gospel.

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Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Spending time before Jesus in the Eucharist—everything comes from Him and through Him.

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Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: How our life of prayer and friendship with Jesus, especially through the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, enable us to love one another. From that place of authentic communion, we can go forth to love and serve the poor and preaching the Gospel in so many ways!

Fun Fact: I run faster than tow trucks, street sweepers, and slow bikers. In the winter, I wear a chicken hat while running, which I have worn on almost every winter training running since the age of 9. 
 

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: The Eucharist provides the graces we need to bring the poor, our students, and our volunteers to the heart of Jesus. 

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Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: There are many favorite things that I love about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist: time in prayer both communally and privately, especially while present before the Eucharist, witness to Divine Providence on a daily basis, laughing with my brothers and sisters in community, the gift of grace and joy, seeing Christ in my neighbor and being able to love and serve them daily, and learning to embrace my cross in order to follow Jesus more closely. 

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Daily seeing God’s providence at work: in the people that He brings into our life, in how He cares for us, and in how all things work for the good. His daily providence sheds more and more light on the mystery of how sending His son Jesus was his ultimate gift of providence. In Him, all is GIFT.

Fun Fact: I have very low spatial awareness and yet am inexplicably skilled at driving giant U-Haul trucks and parallel parking.

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: I love how as Franciscans of the Eucharist, our life is designed to help us to follow Jesus in the footsteps of St. Francis. When I think about St. Francis, I think about how he set out to live the Gospel, wholeheartedly, without holding anything back, and centered his whole life on knowing and becoming more and more like Jesus. I’ve also always deeply resonated with St. Francis’ love for Jesus in His poverty, especially in the manger, in the Eucharist, and on the Cross. Finally, St. Francis’ focus on living among, serving, and seeing and loving Jesus in the poor has always spoken deeply to me as well. The privilege of belonging to this beautiful, 800-year-old Franciscan tradition and learning how to surrender myself more and more fully to Jesus has been one of the greatest adventures and gifts of my life.

Fun Fact: I have a tendency to sing about the things that I am doing without realizing it. 
 

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Learning to love abundantly in the right order starting with the foundation of Mass and prayer, which overflows into the life of our Franciscan community and tradition, and pours into our work and time with everyone we meet. 

Fun Fact: I’ve backpacked ~420 km (~260 mi) across the north of Spain on pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago.  I walked from León to Santiago de Compostela and then continued on to the coastal towns of Fisterra and Muxía. I greatly aspire to go back and complete the entire Camino Frances (~780 km/500mi) some day!  
 

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Being challenged to see, love, and serve Jesus in the Eucharist, in the poor, in our volunteers, and in our community members every single day. I love working together to provide a place where people from so many different walks of life all can come to be nourished both physically and spiritually.

Fun Fact: I played club ice hockey in college, despite not knowing how to skate – and one time, scored a hat trick!
 

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Becoming more deeply immersed in the inextricable connection between the sacrifice of the Mass, adoring Jesus in the Eucharist, and serving Him in the poor.

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Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Learning more about how to pray and how God loves me and getting to serve as a part of the community.

Fun Fact: Over the course of my lifetime, I have caught and peacefully removed four birds and one bat from various buildings/enclosed spaces.

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: I love praying in community with my brothers and sisters, and I love our Franciscan emphasis on ongoing, daily conversion and renewal in Christ.

Fun Fact: For grade school I attended the school of Our Lady of Tepeyac, so for the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a play would be performed by students. From Kindergarten to 3rd grade, of course, my mom would always volunteer me to play the role Juan Diego!

Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: Giving back and praying for the city that raised me. I take pride in being from Chicago to the point that I’m willing to debate that it is the best city in the world. But I won’t deny that there are many parts of this beautiful city where my fellow Chicagoans are having a hard time. In this city there are souls that are not finding joy, there are hearts that are not finding peace, and there is faith that is not finding strength, but with help of my Franciscan brothers and sisters, we will lead people to the Eucharist so that these needs can be nourished. Also, I take pride in saying that “I am not the sharpest tool in the shed.” I say that proudly to show you that God doesn’t pick the qualified, He qualifies the chosen! So if you are on this website because you are looking at different religious communities because you are on your journey of discernment, say yes to the Lord and join religious life to get eternal benefits with no hidden fees!!

​Favorite thing about being a Franciscan of the Eucharist of Chicago: It is a gift to primarily focus my days on striving to be faithful to God and to be surrounded by others dedicating their life to doing the same.