Fr. Nick Baumgardner was ordained a priest in 2019 for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Grafton, WI. Fr. Nick owes his priestly vocation to the grace of God working through his Catholic upbringing and his involvement at the St. Paul Catholic Student Center on the campus of UW-Madison. Originally pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, he decided to leave Madison after his junior year and enter seminary. Throughout his time in seminary, Fr. Nick was especially influenced by the writings of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Ignatius of Loyola. It was also during this time that he developed a sense of humor. Fr. Nick loves being a priest. He especially loves preaching, celebrating the sacraments, and accompanying those who are most in need of God’s mercy. He often finds the words of St. Faustina on his lips as he faces the joys and challenges of his daily ministry: “Jesus, I accept everything that you wish to send me; I trust in your goodness.” You can find all of his homilies at www.isaiahfortythree.com.