Father Patrick Russell grew up in Florissant, MO and graduated from Duchesne High School in 2010. After graduation, he entered Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and was ordained a priest in May 2019. He currently resides as the associate pastor at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in O’Fallon, as well as chaplain at St. Dominic High School (talk about busy!). His hidden talents include excessive coffee drinking and TikTok binging. Other than that, however, his favorite thing to do is invest in the people he loves, whether that be his friends, family, students, or parishioners. He loves spending time with the people that mean the most to him. If Fr. Patrick could be any Disney princess, he would be Elsa. Why? Because he really relates his discernment journey to the song “Into the Unknown”.

This is Fr. Patrick’s 15th year attending the March for Life in D.C. He loves that being here feels like Catholic STL is being lived out in such a real and tangible way. It is like a “collison” of all of our parishes coming together to show how strong the living church really is! Since being ordained, his understanding of what it means to be pro-life has grown in ways he never thought it would. Working with students in his community has made the pro-life issue even more present in his mind. As he walks the halls of St. Dominic, he can’t help but think, “how many more students would be here if not for the sin of abortion?” This thought has tugged on his heart in new and profound ways this year.

Fr. Patrick’s biggest advice to teens as they live out the pro-life message every day is be not afraid! When you’re here in D.C., in a ballroom full of 2,000 people, it’s easy. It’s harder once you’re at home, in your schools, playing your sports, living your lives around those who may not hold the same beliefs as you. You’ll often be surrounded by people who vastly disagree with you and it can be easy to become apathetic about pro-life issues. So, have courage, be bold, have no fear! Stand up for what you know is right.