Patrick Sullivan
Hometown: Muscotah, KS
Major: Civil Engineering
Next Steps: Moving to Austin, TX for work
What would your life at KU look like without St. Lawrence?
I would have quickly gotten caught up with striving for worldly success; my main goal would have been searching for the highest paying job so I can buy the fastest car and the biggest house. Instead, I discovered my identity in Christ and came to realize that this world is not my home, I am simply a traveler journeying towards an eternal destination, Heaven.
What is the biggest risk of faith you took at KU?
Leading a Bible Study. Coming into college I knew basically nothing about scripture, I probably couldn’t have told you that Moses came before David. I still feel very unqualified to lead a Bible study now, five years later, but I know that my knowledge and understanding of scripture has progressed immensely and the Holy Spirit is guiding me.
The risk was studying scripture not knowing whether it would cause more uncertainty and confusion, but it helped me recognize the truth only found in the Catholic Church.
How would you describe your experience of community at St. Lawrence?
St. Lawrence has been a home-away-from-home for my six years here. The love I have received from a multitude of people has been a reflection of the love God has for me and the love He is calling me to give away in return.
How are you called to continue to build community after college?
I feel called to bring Christ to the workplace. My ordinary profession will consist of a lot of ordinary and at times mundane tasks, but when you are united in Christ even your ordinary work can become extraordinary. Even the small tasks of the day are a part of the Divine plan.
There are many people now living a life of quiet desperation, dragging themselves through work every day. I want to help people realize that regardless of scale, the work they do matters.
Who has been one of your greatest guides at St. Lawrence? How did they guide you?
Sister Raffaella, through spiritual direction, has helped me recognize how discernment is grounded in your thoughts, feelings, and desires. The Holy Spirit moves often in the subtle longings of your heart.
How have you grown in interior freedom?
I have discovered a balance between my mental health and my spiritual health. Throughout college, I struggled with anxiety and for a long time, I thought the degradation of my mental health could be countered by increasing prayer and ascetical practices. But, rather I have learned that my mental health and spiritual health affect one another but you can’t “fix” one by improving the other. For the first time, I willingly went to therapy and it resulted in significant growth in interior freedom grounded in inner peace.
What is the biggest lesson that you learned at St. Lawrence? How will you carry that into your adult life?
There are many other young adults seeking a relationship with Jesus; I am not alone in my endeavor to become a Saint. I want to support others on their own faith journeys just as so many have supported me on my own faith journey.