He completed his PhD in historical theology from Saint Louis University in May 2017. His dissertation was on Newman's understanding of biblical inspiration in his Anglican years. He was first introduced to Newman while pursuing a Masters in Catholic Studies from the University of St Thomas, in Minnesota. He wrote his masters thesis under the direction of the late Don Briel on the role of imagination in Newman's writings on education. After graduating from Benedictine in 2006, he served for three years as a missionary with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) at the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Jordan, have three children: Anthony, Owen, and Juliana.