Working out of Tell City, Fr. Tony os covering the southwest part of the Archdiocese. 

Who is your favorite saint?     I have grown to love Saint Cecilia in a particular way in the past 10 years. I admire her youthful innocence and purity, her association with music, and her dual crown of virginity and martyrdom. Her tomb in Rome, covered with a lovely marble statue depicting the image of her incorrupt body when it was found in the 17th century, wounds my heart deeply whenever I see it. What an awesome saint!

If you could talk to anyone in the course of our history (dead or alive), who would it be and why?      Hilary Hahn, who is one of the greatest violinists of our generation. Not only do I admire her unparalleled excellence in performance, but I am mesmerized when I hear her speak about music. I have actually prayed to meet her one day (and not just for a few minutes!), and I am not the only Catholic priest who is an admirer of her personality, for Pope Benedict XVI invited her to be the violin soloist at a special concert held for his 85th birthday. He knows who to invite to a birthday party!

What is your favorite thing to do as a priest? Do you have a favorite sacrament you like to administer? Why?      
One of my favorite things to do is to sit in silence, and probably my second favorite thing is to talk with other priests. But more than both, I love being invited into many unexpected moments in which God uses my priesthood to touch someone's life. This happens in the sacraments, but it also happens in many other sacramental moments throughout the day, and both the variety and unpredictability of these moments is, by far, my favorite thing to experience in the priesthood.

What is your favorite past time or hobby?     I love to ride my bicycle. I enjoy seeing so much of the local geography, while also enjoying fresh air and some vigorous exercise. In truth, have never had a bad day in which I was privileged to ride a bike.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse?  Psalm 37 is full of some of my favorite verses, and two of the best lines which capture the essence of the psalm is verse 5 and 7: Commit your life to Lord; trust in Him, and He will act and Be still before the Lord and wait in patience.

Did anyone (priest, religious sister, friend, etc.) make an impact during your discernment?      A huge number of persons influenced the discernment of my vocation! I was taught by sisters from Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods, Benedictines at Saint Meinrad, Jesuits and Franciscans and Redemptorists in Rome. I was surrounded by friends who supported me and encouraged me, from college to adult life, and I had parents who always wanted me to follow Gods will and to be happy. Without anyone of these people, and many others besides, my discernment would have been significantly impaired.

Any advice for someone discerning the priesthood or consecrated life?     My advice is summed up in Psalm 37: Commit your life to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. God is the author of every vocation, and if we commit ourselves to Him in trust, we will see more clearly how He is already at work in bringing our vocation to fulfillment. This is the essence of Mary'
s fiat: Let it be done unto me, according to your will.