I was baptized in the Episcopal church and at age 12 confirmed. I served as an altar boy and was active in my parish contemplating a vocation to the priesthood. I attended a local college to become a secondary school teacher of Earth Science and Geography. I met a young art teacher in my building and on June 12, 1971, she became my bride of now 51 years. We began our family and were blessed with three children; Jennifer Ann, our oldest, Christina Jo, and lastly Andrew Richard, who passed away at the age of 42. In 1977 I returned to graduate school at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh While at Duquesne I was also accepted into the Catholic Faith and became active in our parish community serving as a catechist and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. In 1997 and moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida where I became active in our parish as a lector, extraordinary minister of Holy Communion and Director of Religious Education. The Diocese of Palm Beach instituted a permanent diaconate program in 2002 and began formation leading to my ordination in September 2006. I began a ministry to a nearby Florida State Prison with my wife as well as parish duties such as: directing the RCIA program, assisting with our high school youth program, conducting baptismal preparation, training extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion for my parish and the diocese, and teaching adult religion courses for the diocese.