“Is this heaven?”
In the almost three weeks since I started as the new Director of Communications and Public Relations for Saint Louis Abbey and Saint Louis Priory School, I have been asking myself the same question that was so poignantly asked of the character played by Kevin Costner in the iconic movie “Field of Dreams.”
As a newcomer to the Priory community, I have been learning more with each passing day about this school’s distinctive elements:
- The deep-rooted Catholicity of this place, as expressed by the monks and all who serve with them, as well as by a student community that is clearly committed to growing in faith, hope and love
- An increasingly diverse but uniformly hard-working student population, and a camaraderie among the students that extends across grade levels
- A continuing commitment to academic excellence – exemplified by a senior class that includes one of the highest percentages of National Merit Semifinalists in recorded school history, and by 40% achieving a 33 or higher on the ACT, with six perfect scores so far
- A vibrant sports program available to all students, and unique extracurricular activities not found anywhere else
- And an exceptional, dedicated faculty and staff, along with committed parents who choose to sacrifice because their sons’ education is among their top priorities.
And I get to help tell the story of this amazing place! How great is that?
Professionally, I have been blessed to serve within the Church throughout my career as a communicator — for the last 14 years with an organization called Ascension, the nation’s largest Catholic hospital system, and before that as Communications Director for the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois.
St. John Paul II visited St. Louis back in 1999 when I worked for the Archdiocese, and St. Teresa of Calcutta came to Peoria in 1995 when I served there. It has been a tremendous privilege to be able to serve my faith through my daily work.
Today, my wife Tricia and I live in Cottleville in St. Charles County. We have two sons – one of whom graduated from college last spring and now works as a zoologist for the Delaware Nature Society.
Part of my role as Director of Communications and Public Relations is to help raise awareness and increase visibility for Priory within the St. Louis community. But I recognize that it is Priory students who are the school’s best “brand ambassadors.” Their interactions with all those they meet send an important message about what makes Priory so special.
Priory parents, too, are ambassadors, sharing their own experiences and telling others about the influence that Priory has had on their sons’ development in mind, body and spirit. Priory alumni likewise are great champions for this place, as they describe the profound impact that this institution has had on their lives.
I look forward to working with all of you — students, monks, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and friends — to help share the good news of this school more broadly than ever before.
Is this heaven? No, it’s Priory!