Brother Stefan has a history of academic excellence and was admitted to the master’s program in theology while still working on his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated summa cum laude. 

Ordained a priest in 2007, he was twice nominated for the office of bishop, but declined because he did not believe that to be his vocation. He has served as vocations director for the Reformed Catholic Church, where he was also interim rector of Holy Cross Reformed Catholic Seminary and served as personal chaplain to the Archbishop.

Brother Stefan was a trained “diak” in a Ukrainian Byzantine parish for a decade and was one of two English cantors in the Chicago Eparchy. He was instrumental in committing early Byzantine music to Western notation and in teaching others to sing the ancient melodies to English liturgical texts.

He began his journey as a Benedictine as an oblate in 1982, making his final profession in 2009. He was named prior provincial in September of that same year and has been a spiritual director and companion for decades. He has been a member of Spiritual Directors International since 2010.  Brother Stefan has served as interim pastor of several congregations in different denominations and is well-known locally as a musician and homilist. In 2016 he was recognized for his community outreach and named one of the top 10 advocates for disadvantaged children in Indiana.  

Brother Stefan founded Holy Redeemer Catholic Community in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2007, where he served as pastor until its closure in 2023. He is the first known Catholic priest to serve as pastor in a United Church of Christ congregation, a role he has enjoyed since 2013. He is also a trained SMART Recovery facilitator and shares his own recovery journey through weekly meetings, and a variety of group therapy settings, in the hopes of inspiring others to find freedom from drugs and alcohol.