Join us as we celebrate the news of one of our SJS Graduates making the decision to join the Dominican Friars!

From his earliest years at Saint John School, JD showed a heart for leadership and faith. JD was in student body government from fifth through eighth grade and served as class president trying to make a difference in leadership for his classmates. He began a Bible study in seventh and eighth grade, “POW”- Preservers of the Word – where he gathered classmates every Wednesday at lunch to hear and share Scripture. Beyond the classroom, JD played flag football, fencing, drummer, alter server, participated in school plays and dramatics, and was active in the Saint John’s Boy Scout program. His Eagle Scout project was especially meaningful: the renovation of Our Lady’s Grotto at St. John’s Catholic Church.

JD continued to grow in both faith and talent at Cathedral Catholic High School, where he was involved in campus ministry, athletics, and the arts. He competed in football and track as a hurdler, played drums, and graduated with honors.

At the University of Notre Dame, JD joined the football team as a preferred walk-on quarterback while pursuing a double major in Film, Television & Theater and Theology. After graduation, he shared his gifts by teaching theology at Saint Monica’s in Santa Monica, coaching football and track, and leading students in music as a drum instructor, while working on his film career and acting. 

During his discernment, JD discovered the Dominican Friars, and from his very first visit, he knew he had found his spiritual home, texting the family: “The porridge tastes just right.” 

On August 12, he entered the seminary, and on August 28, he was vested as a novice. He now begins an eight-year journey of formation with the Dominicans during which he will earn two master’s degrees (Berkeley). 

God willing, he will profess his final vows on Pentecost and the year of our Lord,  June 5, 2033 — a day of joy for all who have walked with him on this path.

We are filled with gratitude and hope as we accompany JD in prayer, trusting that the Lord who began this good work in him will bring it to completion.