Configuration III

Parish: St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Greenville
Birthday: September 16
Seminary: St. Francis de Sales Seminary
3257 S. Lake Drive
St. Francis, WI 53235-3702

ja9bovee@gmail.com

What is the best type of ice cream?
Spumoni. I have only learned about this recently, but it’s layers of chocolate, cherry, and pistachio with actual fruit and nuts within. Ultimate combo.

What do you consider to be your greatest personal victory?
Staying Catholic through college. It is tempting to abandon the faith when so many of your friends and peers do just that and seem to enjoy themselves just fine. It was a great test of will not to follow them, and I consider it a great victory to have persevered.

What was the first thing that you learned about Jesus?
I think the first thing I learned about Jesus was that he made the world. I loved being outside with my dad, and I wanted to know how the woods and the lake got there, and he told me Jesus put them there for us. From then on, I made sure to ask Jesus to keep “nature and water and the wild healthy” every night just in case he changed his mind!

How have you celebrated this Jubilee Year?
I have made a few pilgrimages to the Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee for the indulgence, which is beautiful. I have also tried to be more intentional about being generous with my resources, especially with those who I encounter in regular day-to-day life. I think generosity, whether in time or goods, is a great way to inspire hope in another person’s life. It reminds us we are not alone, and obstacles which once seemed insurmountable are no longer so daunting.

What is your favorite verse from St. Paul’s writings?
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 5:9-11). I love these verses because they are bold. There is an immediate shock factor. In fact, I think there are many today who find it so harsh that we try to “reinterpret” this passage to have a softer message. But I think these words sounded just as harsh to the Corinthians as they sound to modern ears. They encapsulate why “the road is narrow and seldom trod.” Being a Christian means we must leave our sin behind. We must repent, and that is hard. But it is good to know what we must do.

Which virtue exemplified by St. Paul do you most aspire to?
Zeal. I am deeply inspired by St. Paul’s bold words. He knew that his preaching would get him in trouble with the Romans, and that it would make many people angry, yet he continued to preach because he knew that spreading the truth is worth every difficulty. He was driven to preach the truth of the Gospel, no matter what it cost him, whether he lost social prestige, was imprisoned, tortured, or even killed for it. I want that kind of zeal, because many things we have to say as Christians about the world around us are not easy. It is not easy to stand in front of someone and challenge them to be a better person. Yet if we truly desire to help each other reach heaven, we must challenge each other. I pray to God that I might have even a fraction of St. Paul’s zeal, so I might
speak the truth to all, especially when it is hard. Plus, zeal is a great defense against apathy. If I am zealous, then it means I care about the world enough to try and help it rather than standing by and watching it suffer. I certainly hope that I always care enough to say and do what must be said and done.

Which saint should people invoke for your vocation?
St. Ambrose. Like St. Paul, he had great zeal as he defended the Church from Arianism. The teacher of Augustine, I trust him also to help me prepare for ordination to the diaconate.