I grew up in rural northern Iowa and felt a call to the priesthood at a young age, entering the novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ in 1993. After novitiate and two years of studying classical humanities, I obtained summa cum laude licentiate degrees in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome, Italy. I was ordained a priest on December 22, 2007.

I have served in various roles and lived in several cities worldwide, and I currently serve as chaplain for the Lumen Institute and Regnum Christi in Atlanta, GA. I am also serving as the chairman of the board of directors for Catholic World Mission. I recently completed a doctorate in education through Creighton University’s Interdisciplinary Leadership Program.

In 2016, I survived a heart attack and in 2018 was diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer. The experience of suffering and brushes with death has colored my outlook on life. I strive to live each day as a gift from God. 

I am the author of seven published books: The New Fundamentalists (2007), Better with God? (2012), Until Christ be Formed in You (2017), Journey to Joy: Reflections on the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2019), Now and Forever (2021), The Way of St. Joseph (2021), and Lessons from the Workshop of Saint Joseph (2022). I post a regular video with insights for life on Instagram and Facebook.