April 21

2025

Crystal Lake

St. Thomas the Apostle

University of St. Thomas (MN)/ St. John Vianney College Seminary (Philosophy/Catholic Studies)

English/ A little Spanish

Art and Design

I am half Iranian on my father's side and half Irish on my mother's side.

St. Therese of Lisieux

The Holy Family and The Sacred Heart

When I was in high school I went on a retreat with my parish. It was on that retreat that I had my first, real, personal encounter with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. From that moment on I felt a strong desire to devote my life to Him. I did not know what form that would take until the Lord began to point my heart towards the priesthood. I was still in high school, so this was quite intimidating. But the Lord gave me peace, and I followed that peace into seminary! I went to St. John Vianney College Seminary out of high school, and through that time of formation the Lord continued to call me on to the priesthood. So now I am here at Mundelein continuing in formation so that, by the grace and will of God, I will one day be a priest of Jesus Christ!

Offering Mass and hearing Confessions. Probably a common answer, but it’s true!

In my third year of college seminary my class got to go on a study-abroad trip to Rome. Unfortunately, that was the time when a certain global pandemic began. So we were exiled back home barely three weeks into the semester. However, the Lord turned that time of great disappointment into a great grace because I stayed at a rectory with a bunch of awesome holy priests and another seminarian who I just watched get ordained. We all grew closer to Christ and to each other trying our best to fumble around in a post COVID world.

Please pray for my formation and discernment! The more prayers the better!