Hi Everybody! Thanks for checking out my website and the ministry God has called me to.

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I am a 48-year-old native of Cleveland, OH (and still a die-hard Browns and Ohio State Buckeye fan!!) and I have been involved in professional Catholic youth and family ministry for 27 years. I am in my 24th year of ministry as the the Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries at St. Joseph & St. Patrick Parishes in York, PA.

 

I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville for two years before transferring to New Mexico State University where I obtained a BA in History. In 1997 God gave me a vision and called me to develop the Fan the Fire Youth Rallies: Eucharistic-centered events for high school students that draw upwards of 500-800 people annually in both York, PA and Newtown, CT. In the past 20 years over 18,000 teens have experienced Jesus at Fan the Fire.

 

In addition to my full-time parish ministry, for the past 14 years I have been blessed to speak at the parish, diocesan and national level to both teens and adults.  Some highlights of this speaking ministry have been keynoting youth rallies in multiple states, doing workshops at both the NCEA, NCCYM and NCYC conferences and being featured on the EWTN show "Life on the Rock" in 2013. I have also had several refections published in Shalom Tidings magazine and at www.anygivensundayproject.org. Finally, I am a featured catechist at www.thefaceofprayer.com. 

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But the true joy and work of my life is my family. I have been married for 26 years to my beautiful (and very understanding!) wife Teresa and we have eight children on earth (Mary Kate, Cecilia, John Paul, Max, Rose, Benedict, Joseph and Lucy) and 3 in heaven (Dominic, Regina and Sebastian).

 

FUN FACTS:

My favorite cheese: Swiss...because it's Catholic (it's "holey")

Things I have do to help teens find Jesus: chunky ballet, dancing in a sumo suit, British slam poetry, box beating (NOT beat boxing) and playing sports to the point of chaffing or injury.

Most important award I have ever won: Voted the Most Unique Dad of York County, PA in 2005. 

H.S. Nickname: Bobcat

Favorite Movies: Lord of the Rings, Cinderella Man, Saving Mr. Banks, Up and anything with Chuck Norris...

Favorite Saints: John Paul II, Francis, Maximilian Kolbe, John Bosco, Mother Teresa.

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Animal: Platypus