My wife, Chris, and I joined St Joseph / Parish of the Assumption in 1989. This was just two years after returning to the faith from an 18 year absence. My path to Catholicism was primarily intellectual, reading all I could and doing my best to keep my children from falling victim to "secular religion." I continue to keep spiritual reading at my bedside. In 2013, I retired from a successful engineering career for medical reasons. I was spiritually floundering, and found a spiritual director who I still see to this day. One of his first recommendations was that I attend a year-long Catechism program at St John Seminary. Upon completion, I had the confidence to lead parish faith formation programs: Symbolon, "That Man Is You," and "Into The Breach." I entered deacon formation in 2017 and was ordained September, 2022. I love that Fr Aggie lets me preach regularly. I have a special calling for men's ministry and promoting spiritual fatherhood. Men have a unique and vital role to play in their family and Church, and we all suffer when they don't step up.