Historical background

1948

          born July 13, 1948, in Acushnet, MA

          attended Catholic elementary & high schools (Bishop Stang) classmate of Fr. Roy

          as a sophomore earned a certificate from the Diocese in Catechetics to teach CCD

          very active in music performance: piano, organ, guitar, voice

          bowling team, Legion of Mary, parish choir, altar server

          all state chorus

1967

          entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts. Completed postulancy and novitiate on August 18, 1968 at Sacred Heart Novitiate in Wareham.

          Choir Director

1968-72

          attended & graduated from St. Mary’s College, Winona, MN.

          received a BA with a major in philosophy & a minor in music.

          intercollegiate chorus; college liturgical music coordinator.

          taught high school CCD/Philosophy Dept. Secretary

1972-76

          completed 3 year M. Div. program at the Washington Theological Union

          summer study at Catholic Univ. in Pastoral Counseling

          one year study & field experience  at The Washington Psychiatric  foundation in Group Counseling.

          one summer unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute & Hospital, Columbia, SC.

          one year of supervised pastoral experience at Damien High School, LaVerne, Ca./ Masters thesis on Catholic Education

          final vows professed as a member of the Sacred Hearts Community West Coast Province

1976-78

          summer replacement as pastor of a small parish in Hawaii 

          ministry at Damien High school, LaVerne, CA                                             

          -taught  religion, all four levels; Psychology of Growth, juniors & seniors

          established Campus Ministry program & retreat program

          established liturgical music program & night classes for parents

          2 summers of study in Spirituality at The United Institute, Bethlehem,NH                                          

          giving spiritual direction to adults; attending workshops on spiritual direction & member of the Western Association of Spiritual Directors

1978-1981

          full time retreat & spiritual direction ministry throughout southern California.

          appointed director of Sacred Hearts Retreat House, Gallup NM.

 1981-1983

          appointed Assistant Director of Newman Center, at UC Davis, CA. campus ministry; developed retreat program; counseling & spiritual direction; adult education.

          established a residence for students exploring religious/priestly vocation

 1983-89

          appointed vocation director & assistant novice master of the Sacred  Hearts Community for the four English speaking provinces at Hemet, CA

          attended a 9 month program at the Univ. of St. Louis in Formative spirituality. Earned a certificate of completion, Inst. Of Rel. Formation

          appointed novice Master for four years.

          presided and preached at a Sunday night youth mass in town for five yrs.

          offered adult classes at local parish. Four mini courses per year

          offered Mass each month for five years at two nearby Native American Reservations as well as at a nearby prison camp.

          gave workshops on the updating of religious life

          served on the Bishop’s Advisory Council of Religious for two years

          served for one year as the first director of AIDS outreach for the diocese

          continued to give spiritual direction to adults

 1989-1998

          seeking a life of greater prayer, especially in the contemplative tradition, I transferred into the Camaldolese Benedictine Monks, at New Camaldoli Hermitage, Big Sur, CA.  Lived  there a life of partial solitude in my own Cottage with enclosed garden along with 28 monks doing the same thing.  It is a life of solitude and community.  During my time with this community, I was involved in various ministries:  vocation director; postulant director; oblate director; guest master; newsletter editor; book/gift store manager; video librarian; and gave contemplative retreats both at the Hermitage and outside. Unfortunately due to a decline in my health I had to leave the community.                                                                                            

 1998- to the present

          received in the diocese of Fall River by Bishop O’Malley and appointed for one year as a parochial vicar to St. Pius X Parish, in So. Yarmouth

          appointed for two years to St. Julie’s Parish, in Dartmouth

          appointed for four and a half years to St. Mary’s, Seekonk. While at St. Mary’s I continue to give retreats as I am able to various groups of people, lay, religious and even forty Maronite priests & their bishop in January of 2005. I have also begun a Contemplative Ministry in the Diocese as a way of bringing the richness of the contemplative tradition to the people in this region.

          December 28, 2005, appointed Administrator of St. Mary’s Parish in No. Attleboro.

          July 1, 2006, appointed pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish, Orleans, MA
 

I am delighted to be here among you and look forward to our time together for however long it is granted. May we mutually enriched each other as we all strive to grow in and be transformed by God’s boundless love.

I have a mother, a brother and an uncle  who live in Dartmouth, another brother who lives in Assonet and cousins who live in Berkeley, MA.   My two younger sisters live out of state, one in Louisville, KY and the other in Reno, NV.  I enjoy learning, reading (novels too!), listening to and making music, fine food, regular exercise, deserts (apple pie-yummm!), movies including the classics. In the warmer weather I enjoy sailing on my 14 foot Aries’ Pond cat boat on Long Pond, in Lakeville, where I have a small summer cottage. Most of my priesthood & religious life has been about helping people to go deeper into their spiritual lives.