I would like to share with you a little vita for you to get to know me. I was born in Longview, Washington, the second of six children. I like to remind my siblings that I am the first born male and in the old days I would have gotten everything! I now have ten nieces and nephews and even a couple grand nephews. I attended St. Rose parish and went through the parish school for eight years. I was taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. In my junior high years I was impressed by a young priest assigned to our parish and I began thinking about priesthood. As was the custom back then, I went to a high school seminary where I developed great study habits and leadership qualities. When I graduated from high school, I was still interested in the priesthood, but wanted a more rounded experience. I left the seminary and attended Seattle University. After a couple of years, with tuition going up and financial aid going down, I transferred to the University of Washington where I majored in Literature. I thought I got the best of both worlds: a small Catholic college and a major university. After college, I re-applied to the archdiocese and entered the seminary at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. It was a great time, being taught by such giants as Fr. Avery Dulles and Elizabeth Johnson. It was also exciting being in the nation’s capital. I was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Seattle in 1983 and have served at St. Patrick, Tacoma; St. Louise, Bellevue; Sacred Heart, Battle Ground; St. John the Evangelist, Seattle; and St. Vincent de Paul, Federal Way. (Gosh, I must be old!) I also served for about ten years as the director of deacon formation for the archdiocese. Early on in my ministry I came to realize that my education was very strong in theology, but rather weak in spirituality. Archbishop Hunthausen gave me permission to go back to school where I received a Master in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. I like to define being a pastor as being a spiritual director of a community. Where is the Spirit leading us? How are we responding? As I begin my pastorate with you I look forward to discovering how the Spirit is active here at St. John the Baptist.