In 2023, I was working as the Pastoral Associate at St. Paul Catholic Church in Riverside, a neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. The parish invited Dr. Mary Soha to present on the Martyrs of La Florida. For many years I was aware of Dr. Soha, she gave many presentations to the seminarians but for some reason or another I was never able to attend, sadly. This time, fortunately, I was able to go to the parish function and I found the story very inspiring. I asked to sit down with Dr. Soha...

Let’s talk about interdenominational dialogue for a moment. I am a practicing Catholic–emphasis on the “practicing” part–and from 2023 to 2025 I sang as the Bass section leader for Lakewood Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, FL. There was no ulterior motive of converting the congregation to Catholicism, nor did I feel anyone at LPC trying to convince me to renounce my faith; only profound mutual respect. It was the most welcoming congregation to be a part of, and the choir was one of those...

I remember when I was 17 years old, I bought a ticket to see Beethoven’s Symphony No.9  at the Jacksonville Symphony. I drove all the way from Keystone Heights just to sit in the very back of Jacoby Hall. It was my first live concert and the atmosphere was incredible. The orchestra was stellar and the symphony chorus sang with such power and clarity I felt I could touch the divine.. At the helm, conducting the orchestra, was a young and vibrant ginger maestro, Courtney Lewis. That night drew...