Home City: New York City
Education: PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; BS in Chemistry and Biology from Ohio State University.
Current Location: Hecker House, Washington, D.C.
Hobbies: Running club and a regular volunteer at athletic events, city parks, and with the American Heart Association. Erick was also an active parishioner at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, specifically with the Out@St. Paul ministry and a sponsor in the OCIA program.
Erick recently resided in New York City, where he was associate director of publications for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.
Erick holds a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a BS in Chemistry and Biology from Ohio State University.
Erick explained he thought about the priesthood as a child. He would even make believe to celebrate Mass on his porch, using candy as the Eucharist. That calling returned about a year and a half ago, when he delivered the eulogy at his father’s wake.
“I spoke about his belief in God and how his spirit and memory are part of us all and what it means for him to rest in peace in our hearts and minds,” Erick said. “Family members cried during the eulogy, and it inspired people to tell stories. The success of that evening and how it moved people and drew us all closer made me want to do it more.”
Erick met the Paulist Fathers when he became a parishioner at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in Manhattan.
“I think the charism of being a missionary society focused on ministering in North America and uniquely the United States is a specific and fascinating mission,” he explained. “I found the story of St. Paul himself appealed to me — he converted to Christianity later in life, he bound communities together by writing and traveling, and he was the Apostle to the Gentiles — he understood and advocated for the universality of the Church.”
Fun fact about Erick: He was president of his running club for two years, which had about 800 members.