Dear friends of St. James Cathedral, Peace of Christ be with you all and with your loved ones!

What a joy it is for me to join you at St. James as your parish priest. I am deeply grateful to Bishop Noonan, to Father McCormick, and to all of you for welcoming me to your parish for my first assignment. As I look forward to serving you, I am filled with happiness and peace, struck by the goodness of God and the beauty of His people.

Let me take this opportunity to let you know a little bit about myself. I was born in Queens, New York and lived there for a few years before my parents, Daniel and Mabel Tocco, my younger sister Amanda and I moved down to Orlando, where we grew up. I am half Cuban, from my mother’s side, and half French and Italian, from my father’s side.

Our family has attended Annunciation Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs since we moved down from New York. I graduated from Lake Brantley High School and attended one year at the University of Florida in Gainesville before entering the seminary. People often ask if I played any sports at Brantley, or have any hobbies. Yes, I love sports; I grew up training in martial arts in my father’s dojo, mostly karate and judo, playing basketball, soccer and football, and I competed in wrestling, hockey, swimming and lacrosse during high school. I play guitar and love all kinds of music, solid reading, good movies (like Braveheart), and simply spending quality time with family and friends.

It was during my year at UF that I rediscovered the Catholic faith in a new way, truly fell in love with Jesus, and promised to give my life to God. I had drifted away from the Lord in a number of ways for a few years, but I was seeking, and I was praying for guidance. I would often visit St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, right across University Blvd from the main campus, in the middle of the afternoon for some quiet time with the Lord. I remember the profound interior peace I found in that little Church, reading the Gospels in silence and contemplating the words of Jesus . It was there that Christ began to teach me what it meant to be a man, and a disciple: “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn15:13). Reading those words one day, God struck me to the heart. It became so clear to me how Jesus’ entire life, his utter selflessness, his love to the extreme, his heroic self-sacrifice, that was the way to live! To lay down one’s life for one’s friends … Yes, I thought, love is the meaning of life! Love makes life worth living. It seems to me that all of us, all people everywhere, share a natural desire to discover the truth about things, and to give ourselves generously to something important. Suddenly I found that the person of Jesus Christ was the only thing in the world which really corresponded to those desires in my heart – the only thing! He alone in the whole world is, just as he said, the way, the truth, and the life.

I am grateful to Msgr. Patrick Caverly who helped me at that time to discern the call to priesthood, and to our Bishop Emeritus Norbert Dorsey, who approved me to begin priestly formation. After three years at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami (where Bishop Noonan was my rector) and five more years at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, I was, by the merciful grace of God, ordained right here at St. James Cathedral by Bishop Noonan this past May 28^th.

Sometimes people ask me what it’s like having my former seminary rector as Bishop. The truth is that I feel deeply privileged, and regard our shepherd with the utmost respect and love. Of course I also remember knowing him as Msgr. Noonan. I think most people have noticed by now that he has a great sense of humor, and I remember pulling pranks with (and sometimes on) him. One year, before the annual “Inter-seminary Day,” when the Miami seminarians would drive up to St. Vincent’s in Boynton Beach for Mass, some friendly competitive sports and fellowship, a group of us snuck up the night before to prank our elder seminarian brothers. Bishop Noonan himself drove the getaway van. Among the various acts of mischief perpetrated that night, we made sure to pinch the opposing rector’s bike. The next day, Bishop Noonan showed up during lunch, casually pedaling the swiped bike through the seminary cafeteria. Ah, memories…

Well, my friends, rather than bore you with any further autobiographical introductions, let me simply say that I am eagerly looking forward to getting to know you, serving you as your priest, present with you in your times of joy, as well as times of sorrow. It is my privilege to stand with you before the Lord to worship Him, and I promise always to carry you in prayer. Please pray for us, your clergy, as well and for all priests.

May God shower you with grace and blessings! And may our Lady’s loving intercession be your constant help and consolation.

Yours in Christ, Father Nick