Deacon Kevin Muniz, shown here at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, will be ordained to the diocesan priesthood by Bishop George J. Lucas on May 24 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.

SHREWSBURY, Mo. - Deacon Kevin Muniz is ready to step up to the plate, and to walk beside people in their faith journey. The seminarian, who as a youth dreamed of being a professional baseball player, says he has found his calling as a priest for the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.

"I've spent the last six years as a seminarian - in fact, most of my life - learning the teachings of the faith, and about sharing that life of faith as a priest," he says.

He describes the ministry of the priesthood as "going into the trenches of peoples' lives. They need to know they're not alone. You have to be willing to be a hero. My life is going to make a difference in someone's life," says Deacon Muniz.

On Saturday, May 24, Bishop George J. Lucas will ordain Deacon Muniz a priest at a liturgy beginning at 11 a.m. in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield.

Deacon Muniz is the son of David and Lynn Muniz of Collinsville and Ss. Peter and Paul is his home parish. He has a younger brother, Kent. He went to Ss. Peter and Paul School and Collinsville High School. He attended Forest Park Community College in Missouri, and Greenville College, in Greenville, and earned his bachelor's degree at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He was midway through his second year teaching math at Civic Memorial High School in Bethalto, when he decided to enter the seminary.

"Up until then, I never thought the priesthood was God's plan for me," says Deacon Muniz, who had started going to weekly Bible sessions to learn more about his Catholic faith when he was a student at SIU.

"I've learned to trust God in my life. His plan is always better than my plan," he says.

Since his diaconate ordination last year on May 27, he has served in deacon ministry at St. Mary Parish, Edwardsville, while completing his final year of theology at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.

 "I've preached a lot this last year and done two baptisms, but I've yet to do a wedding or funeral," says Deacon Muniz.

Earlier during his seminary years he served a year-long internship under Father Christopher Comerford at St. Louis Parish, Nokomis, and St. Maurice Parish, Morrisonville. Father Comerford will vest Deacon Muniz at his ordination.

There are 14 in his ordination class at Kenrick. Deacon Muniz was 24 when he entered the seminary. Now at age 30, he says the majority of his ordination classmates are 30 or younger. "We're products of our environment," he says.

"There are always going to be challenges for the church. But for Catholics and for priests, there is not another time when there were more resources available at our fingertips to learn about our faith. You have the most educated priests. You have level-headed men in the seminary," he says.

The newly-ordained Father Muniz will celebrate his first Mass in his home parish at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 25, at Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Collinsville. The next weekend, he will celebrate all the weekend liturgies at St. Mary Church, Edwardsville - Saturday, May 31, 5 p.m.; Sunday, June 1, 8 and 10:30 a.m.

The weekend of June 14 and 15, he will celebrate liturgies at St. Louis Church, Nokomis and at St. Maurice Church, Morrisonville - Saturday, June 14, 4:30 p.m. at Nokomis and Sunday, June 15, 8 a.m. at Nokomis and 10 a.m. at Morrisonville.