Stephen was Freshman Class President and Student Body President at Seton Catholic Preparatory High School. After a year at Northern Arizona University and two years at Mesa Community College, he enlisted in US Army Signal Intelligence as a Morse Code Interceptor, graduated early from Intelligence school at Ft. Devins, MA and served three 1/2 years at Field Station Augsburg, Germany. Honorably discharged in 1985 as a Sergeant E-5, Stephen began a nearly 25-year journey serving as a lay missionary for the Catholic Church in Dioceses around the world. He is fluent in Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian, and Russian and reads and understands Latin, Polish and other Eastern European languages.
Stephen was sent to Soviet Ukraine in 1990, and was present during the ‘August 1991Coup d’etat’ from start to finish, erroneously referred to as the ‘collapse of the Soviet Union’. He and Thomas Creen remained with Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachyvski and his closest aides to face whatever might befall the Church, (among them Fr Kenneth Nowakowski, now Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of London, England). With Ukrainian independence declared, Stephen was named the first Director of Youth Activities for the Archeparchy of L’viv since the dissolution of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church at the L’viv Synod by the Communists (1946) and he and Tom taught English to the first group of about 250 seminarians, all in one classroom, at the Major seminary in Rudno. While in Ukraine (1990-1997) he co-founded and was Master of Ceremonies for spiritual youth concerts (for young and old) attended by tens of thousands over the course of that time, culminating in a concert for 50,000 faithful at the ancient spiritual shrine of Zarvanitysa.
Stephen was named Regional Director for the men’s and women’s communities in Ukraine, Russia, Poland and Czech Republic. He was instrumental in establishing the orphanage now existing in the village of Bortnyky, Ukraine.
Stephen co-founded the Continuity Movement and the Continuity Journal in the British Isles with former Anglican Bishop of London, Mgr. Graham Leonard, KCVO. He edited Isabel, a bi-lingual journal for Spain and the United States, and co-authored ‘A Man To Move Hearts – A Life Of Paul Murphy, MJ’ with renowned English author Joanna Bogle. He also edited a major prayer book in four languages (English, Spanish, Ukrainian, Latin).
As Master of Ceremonies of the International Path To Rome conferences (PTR), Stephen developed friendships with members of British Parliament (Rt. Hon. Lord Deben who was also Minister of Agriculture for Prime Minister John Major, Rt Hon Anne Widdecombe and Lord David Alton), and presidential administrations (Adm. John and Linda Poindexter); of the nobility: Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor, and HIRH Archduchess Alexandra von Hapsburg and husband H.E. Hector Riesle, a former Ambassador to the Vatican for Chile.
Stephen has served in various positions around the world. He’s been a retreat leader and spiritual director in many countries, Director of parish Adult Faith Formation programs, and a founder and Regional Director of Catholic Charities.
He’s returned, after many years, to a ranch in southern Arizona with his wife Barbara, to be near their families. Barbara’s parents recently celebrated their 72nd anniversary, a beautiful witness to love and fidelity. There they enjoy their dogs, horses, chickens and many other desert critters.
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