I grew up in Lorain, Ohio, a small industrial city on Lake Erie, thirty miles west of Cleveland. In grade school and high school I toyed with the idea of a vocation to the priesthood, but it was not until I went to Xavier University in Cincinnati that I seriously pursued my vocation.

Xavier was my first contact with the Society of Jesus. I was impressed by the learning, piety and commitment to professional excellence I found in the Jesuits there. Both my father and paternal grandmother were teachers, so I guess teaching was "in my bones." I found the Jesuits attractive because I could pursue the teaching profession and be a priest at the same time. For me it was a perfect melding of my spiritual aspirations with my professional ambitions.

I graduated from Xavier in June, 1973 and entered the novitiate the following September with the hope of pursuing my spiritual and professional dreams. Nearly thirty years later, I can honestly say that I have never looked back. Being a Jesuit priest is the perfect vocation for me. I love the wonderful opportunities that I have been provided to grow both spiritually and professionally. My love for God, His people and the Church could not have grown had I not become a Jesuit.

My hope to become a teacher was fulfilled two years after I entered. I taught chemistry at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, coached the tennis team and moderated the graphic arts club. During those three years, I started entertaining the notion that one day I could assume a leadership role in our schools.

I was ordained in 1981 and after serving on the novitiate staff for three years, I was given a chance at administration by being named academic assistant principal at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. During that time, I learned the intricacies of the day-to-day operation of a school and was able to interact with students and faculty in meaningful ways.

After tertianship (in Australia, mate), I was invited to become the headmaster (principal) at Xavier High School in New York City. Xavier is in the heart of Manhattan, and has a very strong military tradition with its JROTC program. I was terrified but also excited about the prospect of serving at that school. The six years I spent there were happy ones and very challenging.

In 1997, I was invited to become the headmaster of Loyola Academy in Wilmette. I was happy to return to the Chicago province and ply my trade in one of our schools. LA is the country's largest Jesuit high school with over 2,000 students. It is wonderful to work with Jesuit and lay colleagues who truly value the importance of a Catholic and Jesuit education.

During the near twelve years that I have been a high school principal, there hasn't been a single day during which I have not been challenged as a priest and a professional educator. I love the challenge and I know that I would be less effective if it weren't for the fact that God has given me these very happy years in the Society of Jesus.