robco@robco.org
630-355-8980
1500 Brookdale Road, Naperville, IL 60563
- Joined the Carmelites in 1959
- First Religious Vows in 1961
- Final Vows in 1964
- Ordained in 1967
He has, in his own words, been “arm wrestling with God” ever since. He is happy to report that God always wins.
Fr. Bob’s Background
Fr. Bob is St. Thomas’s resident Yankee fan. He was raised in Connecticut by Italian immigrant parents, but the Carmelites brought him to the Midwest, which he thoroughly enjoys.
His résumé is extensive. Fr. Bob has degrees in Philosophy and Theology, as well as a Master of Arts in both Religious Education and Medieval History. He has worked as both an educator and administrator in Catholic secondary education, which he grew to love.
Fr. Bob went on to serve as executive director of the Society of the Little Flower in the US and Canada from 1991 to 2019. He continues to serve as spiritual director; he also serves as the Director of Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien, Illinois. There, his fundraising prowess produced a fully paid-for new National Shrine to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Now, as director, he continues to give talks and retreats on various Carmelite and Biblical topics.
After almost six decades of active priesthood, Fr. Bob continues to minister and serve in several capacities. Besides the Carmelite Spiritual Center and St. Thomas Parish, he also serves on the Board of Directors of Illuman, a national organization of male spirituality founded by Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM. He is proud to serve Illuman and to support its mission to bring men into a more authentic life of freedom.
A Pilgrim Leading Pilgrims
No one loves a pilgrimage to the Holy Land like Fr. Bob. He has led over 30 pilgrimages, showing over 1,100 pilgrims the very places Jesus trod. He continues to lead annual Holy Land pilgrimages, and he also leads pilgrimages in Greece and Turkey in the footsteps of St. Paul, as well as in other places of Biblical, Christian, or specifically Carmelite significance: Italy, Spain, France, Poland, and Egypt.
This pilgrim spirit is sparked by what Fr. Bob calls his “Jewish inner child.” That’s apropos, since Fr. Bob’s lively Carmelite spirituality has grown a childlike wonder and faith, a perfect balance to his education and Scriptural knowledge.
In Fr. Bob’s Own Words
“My passion for helping people learn the value of silence in life and in prayer, listening to God within, instead of talking God to death. St. Thérèse of Lisieux is my boss and mentor, even though I read her as a Novice and thought she was a spoiled brat and too sentimental. Because I was asked (coerced) to take responsibility for the Society of the little Flower, I dove into her spirituality – wow! God has a way of surprising us. She has deeply influenced my life as a Carmelite regarding trusting God, the Divine Intimacy and doing the ordinary things of life with extraordinary love.”
