father tony cecil

Hi, I'm Fr. Tony. I'm a native of central Kentucky, and grew up in a small town where, "everybody knows everybody, the chicken is fried, the tea is sweet, and someone's heart is always gettin' blessed." (That's annoyingly corny, but shockingly true.) I am the youngest of eight children, having five older half-brothers, and two older half-sisters. If you know me and my family, you know that we're a rather interesting bunch that doesn't always fit the mold, but I wouldn't trade them for the world. 

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I attended a small Catholic High School in historic Bardstown, Kentucky, the home of American Catholicism west of the Appalachians. After graduating, I entered seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky. In May, 2015, I graduated from the Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary at Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana. I hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Catholic Studies, with a Concentration in Pre-Theology Philosophy, and  a Minor in German Language and Culture. I recently completed seminary formation at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Southern Indiana, where I earned a Masters of Divinity, and through a partnership with the Pontifical University of Sant'Anselmo in Rome, a Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology, with a focus in Liturgical Theology. 

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Since entering the seminary in 2011, my life has been richly blessed by the people I have met and the experiences I have had. The great Carmelite reformer, Saint Teresa of Avila, is credited with having said, "Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be." I have found that in leaning into that trust, this adventure has been one of the most amazing things I could have ever imagined. 

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I was ordained to the diaconate on March 24, 2018 (my father's birthday!) at the Basilica of Saint Joseph in Bardstown, Kentucky. It was truly a blessing to receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders in the place where our diocese began its mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and now, in a very focused way, to join in that mission. On May 25, 2019, I was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville.

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The point of this site is not to gain attention for myself, but mainly, to share what the life of a young Catholic is like, to share my homilies, to serve as an avenue to share resources about the faith and to receive prayer requests. I would like to note that the views expressed on this website are strictly my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Roman Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Louisville, or any parish or seminary with which I am affiliated--basically, if I screw something up, it's my fault, and I'd gladly enter into dialogue. 

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In all things, may God be glorified. Amen.