Website (youth ministries): https://holytrinityupdates.com/formation/htym/

Website (young adult ministries): https://holytrinityupdates.com/formation/htya/

Regular ministries: Ignite (all high school), Sundays; Girls' Small Groups (high school), Tuesdays; Guys' Small Groups (high school), Thursdays; Leadership Team (high school), Sundays; St. Gianna's Life Defenders (high school pro-life group), second Mondays; St. Thomas's Youth Apologists (high school apologetics), fourth Mondays; Gamemasters (high school board-gaming), first Mondays; Adventures of Holy Heroes (high school table-top role-playing), third Mondays; Knitting Happens (high school knitting), fifth Mondays; St. Joseph's Workers (high school service), monthly on weekends; Band of Brothers (high school jr/sr guys), two eight week sessions/year; Spark (all middle school), first and third Fridays; Spark After Dark (middle school), third Fridays; 33 Days to Morning Glory retreats (high school), varied meetings throughout the year; Jr. Legion of Mary, Thursdays (two different meetings, for high schoolers and middle schoolers); American Heritage Girls; Food, Faith & Fun (summer high school), Mondays; Thunder (summer middle school); Salt & Light (summer middle school). 

Big events: high school Fall Retreat/Ultimate Outing (Oct); RALLY (Oct); middle/high school Turkey Cup Soccer Tournament (Nov); Twilight Retreat (Dec, for high school seniors); Life is VERY Good (Jan); the National March for Life (Jan); diocesan One Act Play & Short Film Festival Competition (Feb); parish One Act Play performances (Feb); Virginia March for Life (Feb); high school Spring Retreat (Mar); Confirmation Retreats (Mar); middle school BASH (Apr); WorkCamp (Jun); Steubenville Conferences (Jul); Summer Musical Theater Camp Week (Jul); Middle School WorkCamp (Jul); middle school Vacation Bible School (Jul); Senior Send-off (Jul); Kings Dominion day trip (Jul); and World Youth Day (every few years).

Young Adult Ministry Program includes: Holy Trinity Young Adult Ministries: Post-grad Bible Study; P3 (prayer, penance, and pizza); Band of Brothers (young adult men); Virtue & Valor, or "V&V" (young adult table-top role-playing); the Finer Things Club (book discussions and dinner); Young Adults for Life; Twilight Retreat (Dec, for recent high school graduates); Game Nights (board-gaming and dinner); Chillin & Grillin (summer brunch bbq's); several hikes throughout the year; participation in diocesan young adult Holy Hours, TBG's, discernment retreats, Exalts, and more.

History/Bio

Active in Youth Ministry since: November 2000.
In current position since: August 2017.

Why I work in Youth Ministry: Hindsight being twenty-twenty, I can now say that it is by God's grace I stumbled into volunteering at St. Charles Borromeo shortly after graduating from college. A friend-of-a-friend told me that some high schoolers needed some “big brother” coaching or mentoring. At the end of that first meeting we were saying the “Our Father”, and it became apparent this was something more! One thing led to another, and few months later I was asked to lead the parish's high school WorkCamp effort… and the rest is history. I knew at that first WorkCamp that I was called to youth ministry, even amidst sleeping on floors and working on an outdoor carpentry project with no shade for a week during the summer. This led me to continue volunteering with an amazing youth ministry team and many great teens and families for many years, helping to develop and grow a comprehensive high school youth ministriy program at our parish. Throughout that time as a volunteer, while attending many Sunday night meetings, retreat weekends, service days, social nights, and much more, the thought about working in a parish full-time was planted, grew, remained with me, and was rarely far from the surface. When this position became available, true discernment began anew for my family and me … and yet again, by God's grace, here I am. It is truly a privilege to serve and get to know the teens and families, as well as support the many youth ministries and youth ministers here at Holy Trinity!

About Me: I studied Civil Engineering (structures) and I am a Virginia Cavalier and native Nutmegger… though I don't know anyone that actually says “I am a Nutmegger” out loud. A post-college job opportunity brought me to the DC-area. I started volunteering at St. Charles Borromeo in Arlington, and a few years later I met my wife Melissa volunteering there with the high schoolers. After many Sunday night youth ministry meetings, WorkCamp trips, social nights, and retreats, serving alongside each other, and finding time to go out on real dates as well, Melissa and I were married in November 2008. We have two awesome children, and the four of us love family movie and pizza nights, visiting family, camping road trips, the zoo, chasing the next Jr. National Park Ranger badges, playing with Legos, kayaking, visiting the National Museum of Natural History, watching airplanes especially at Gravelly Point, going to the beach, and our crazy “cheagle” Bosco. I am a Lifetime Member in Youth Apostles and have a great love for both my HTYM and WAY “families”.

Birthdate: December 25

Favorites

Favorite Food(s): Lobster & crab - bisque, rolls, or shelling them.

Favorite Band/Musician: The Restless, Matt Maher, TobyMac, Audrey Assad, David Crowder, Pentatonix

Favorite Pastime: Swimming, baseball, family movie & pizza night, Legos, board-gaming with the family (7 Wonders, Catan, Munchkin, Blockus), kayaking, watching the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and Virginia Cavaliers basketball and football

Favorite Saint: This is difficult. I have at least a dozen “tiny saints” on my key chain. Narrowing it down a tiny bit, I'd start with St. John Bosco & St. Matthew, St. Augustine & St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis of Assisi.

Favorite Scripture: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.” - John 15:12-16

Favorite Book: Tough question! Maybe right now…a possible tie between Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives (Pope Benedict XVI) and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Tolkien). The Lamb's Supper (Hahn), The Power of Silence (Sarah), and The Case for Jesus (Pitre) quickly come to mind, too.