'Da Cowboy
Okay, this page is a little embarrassing because there's a fine line between self-disclosure and self-promotion. But, be that as it may, I wish to inform you, the web browser, of a little bit about myself.
Okay, 'Da Cowboy.....
If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a religious dude. More specifically, I'm a Catholic Priest. A Catholic Priest, you say? Why would a priest raise Registered Polled Herefords? Well, remember, priests have been sacrificing bulls, sheep, birds, etc., for a long time. Historically, we know a little bit about livestock. But that's not really pertinent to this page.
Let me state this for the record: I am not a cowboy by birth or nature! Sure my dad grew up on a farm and farming is still a Forge vocation in the greater northeast Kansas area (Leavenworth, KS, to be specific). Yes, I completely enjoyed visiting grandma and grandpa at the farm during my influential childhood years and I benefited from bailing hay, picking potatoes, harvesting wheat, milking cows, etc. But because I was an allergy prone type kid, my exposure to true farming was curtailed by my inability to withstand the sneezing and allergic reactions that I encountered every time I crossed the Kansas state line.
However, and maybe it is in my blood, there has always been this desire to connect with nature. I've constantly loved and cared for animals be they horses, cats, dogs, and now cattle...and it seems to me that cattle have proven to be one of the most enjoyable of creatures that I've encountered thus far. (No offence to Domino and Ditto, my canines!) Why, however, would I make the claim that beef is better?
Well, cows, heifers, bull calves, and steers, are so simple in nature. All they want to do is eat...period. These animals simply require a good pasture, a bail of hay or a sack of feed, and they can provide 'Da cowboy with a limitless amount of pleasure...be it for the psyche or for the palate. I, of course, enjoy both!
Okay, more about ME:
I grew up as an Air Force "brat" which means I lived in nine different places before I was eleven years old. Where did I live, you wonder?
Well, I was born in 1) Riverhead, NY, then we moved on to 2) Hershey, PA; 3) Anchorage, AK; 4) Battle Creek, MI; 5) Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 6) Apple Valley, CA; 7) Salina, KS; 8) Colorado Springs, CO., and eventually to 9) Austin, TX. The entire experience of growing up "on the go" instilled within me an ability to adapt to my environment. I was always the "new kid on the block" and because of that I was always being introduced to people or introducing myself to others.
Anyway, after growing up in Austin in the 70's I moved up to Dallas in 1979. In 1980 I got a job working for Texas Commerce Bank (now Chase Bank) as a Customer Service Rep. Basically, I filed cancelled checks and assisted customers over the phone with banking questions. I ended up working for TCB for four years, eventually leaving a supervisory position with them for a job as a full time bookkeeper for some successful real estate developers.
A personal crisis in my life (call it "broken love") led me to re-evaluate my life and my life's direction. This, in turn, facilitated a religious conversion experience which led me to my true love and true calling: Life following and serving Jesus the Christ.
So, for the past 20 plus years I've been involved in pursuing a vocation (a calling) to serve the Lord in one way or another. I received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from The University of Dallas in 1992, and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies Degree as well as a Master of Divinity Degree from The Graduate School of Theology at St. Mary's Seminary in Houston Texas in 1997. I was ordained for ministry as a priest in the Diocese of Dallas on May 17, 1997.
My first assignment was as Parochial Vicar (Assistant Pastor) of St. Pius X Parish in Dallas (1997 - 1999). Next I was appointed as Director of Vocations (1999 - 2003) for the diocese while serving in residence at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Plano and St. Ann in Coppell. I was assigned next as Administrator of St. John the Apostle Parish in Terrell, Texas, (2004 - 2005) and as Pastor of St. John a year or so later (2005 - 2008). Currently, as of July 1, 2008, I am Pastor of Mary Immaculate Church in Farmers Branch, Texas.
So, dat's 'Da Cowboy! Any questions? email me at: mforge@forgecattle.com
