By: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans
Putting On The New Man is a series of the NDS Blog that will introduce the new faces you see in the seminary.
CHRIS FAGIN
Hello! My name is Chris Fagin. I’m a PT1 student from the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. I’m originally from northern Kentucky, and I followed a family tradition of attending Christian Brothers University, where I fell in love with Memphis. My vocation story can be summed up as “Gradual and persistent, despite my resistance!” I want to be a priest because I believe that God is calling me to be one, and I want to serve Christ’s people! I love to exercise, play guitar, and do anything in the outdoors. It is difficult to choose the most interesting event in my life, but one that comes readily to mind is when I staged a solo poetry reading in high school that descended into a choreographed WWE-level brawl with my friends. My favorite Scripture verse is Ecclesiastes 11:5: “As you do not know how the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” My favorite saints are St. Christopher and St. Jude Thaddeus. Passion of Christ aside, my favorite movie is No Country for Old Men. My favorite spiritual books include The Great Divorce and The Everlasting Man.
MAX MEDINA
Hello my name is Max Giovanni Medina, a new seminarian entering Pre-Theology 1 on behalf of the Diocese of Beaumont, Texas. Among my top saints would have to be St. Maximillian Kolbe, for his amazing witness in the midst of so much evil, and St. Edmund Campion for his courage in speaking the truth to bring several souls back to the true Church. My favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption and favorite quote is the following from G.K. Chesterton: “Only a dead fish goes with the flow.” Put simply, I want to be a priest so that I can bring others to Christ and Christ to others in a world that is desperately searching for the truth and love that only He can provide. My favorite book would have to be Frank Sheed’s Theology and Sanity, which is an excellent summary of the faith and explains how one can only be sane when they live by it. The most interesting thing that has happened to me would be being given the opportunity to travel to Singapore with a friend, which allowed me to see the other part of the world. Put simply, Eucharistic adoration, Exodus 90, and discernment retreats got me where I am today. My favorite hobbies are playing golf, playing Chess, shooting guns, playing any racket sport, and spiritual reading/listening. My main interests are keeping up with professional sports (Go Saints! and Go Tigers!), learning about other cultures (especially when it comes to food), learning history, and hearing different kinds of music. I’m very excited to start this new phase of my life and would appreciate any prayers.
CAMERON LEBLANC
Hi! My name is Cameron LeBlanc and I am in my first year of Pre-Theology for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Two of my favorite saints are Catherine of Siena and Alphonsus Liguori. I am deeply drawn to St. Catherine’s message of redemptive suffering and St. Alphonsus’ devotion to Mary. My favorite movie is The Sandlot. Being Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez is #goals. Also shout out to The Little Giants, which is my other favorite movie. One of my favorite parts of the Gospels is John Chapter 2, The Wedding at Cana. In particular near the beginning of the chapter, when the wine is said to have failed, Our Lady is quoted as saying to her Son, “They have no wine.” This short quote is beautiful to me because not only does it show that Mary intercedes for us, she does so without being asked. No one at the wedding ran to Mary to complain about the lack of wine; through her own observation and concern for those at the wedding, she goes to her Son. Therefore, we can remain confident that our Blessed Mother will always advocate for us. Nevertheless, let us continue to pray to her, as it may only increase the power of her intercession! I desire to become a priest because my primary goal at this point in my life is saving as many souls as possible, and I believe the priesthood is the best way to accomplish this goal. I am excited for the opportunity to do so through the celebration of the sacraments, in particular the Sacrament of Penance. I greatly enjoy reading anything written by the saints, and in particular enjoyed St. Therese of Lisieux’s autobiography, Story of a Soul, which is an excellent book to read if you want to grow in the virtue of humility. I once played music at the House of Blues in New Orleans to a packed house of adoring fans, AKA friends and family. Aside from music, my other interests are television, sports, pretty much any board game, reading, and talking about God. I also enjoy putting together a good puzzle! I have not always been faithful to God, but he has always been faithful to me. In finally conforming my will to His, I find myself beginning studies at the seminary.
About the Author: Jason Songe, Seminarian, Archdiocese of New Orleans
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