I was born in Orange, California, to two loving, faith-filled parents. I have one older sister, who continues to be my life-long friend. I attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, where I spent several years wrestling with the truths of the faith. Under the guidance of the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, I found my way back to God’s holy Church. I attended the University of San Francisco and the St. Ignatius Institute, a Great Books program founded by Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. In the St. Ignatius Institute, my mind and heart were fed by studying the Church Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas, and the great philosophers. I continued my studies in philosophy at Fordham University in New York, teaching philosophy at Fordham and successfully defending my doctoral dissertation, written under the direction of Dr. John J. Drummond, entitled “Being and Husserl: The Ontological Possibilities of Transcendental Phenomenology.”

 

I had been discerning a call to religious life since my last year of High School—God had been tugging at my heart for more than a few years! Convinced of my call to religious life after returning from New York, I was drawn to the Dominican Order for its mission of preaching the Gospel in word and action, its emphasis on study, and its community life, including the brothers’ singing of the Divine Office. I count myself especially blessed to be called to share Christ, whom I love, in teaching, preaching, and the celebration of the sacraments.