Bob was born in Chicago on November 10, 1936. He graduated from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Ill., in 1955 and earned a bachelor's in journalism from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1960. From the time Bob graduated college until he joined the Society of Jesus, he was involved in many activities. He was married and has three sons: Martin, Brendan, and Joseph. Bob also was a newspaper reporter; worked in radio and television news and film production; and was involved in printing, photography, public relations, speech writing, and word processing.

Bob entered the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus on September 11, 1983, at Loyola House in Berkley, Mich. He was ordained a priest on June 8, 1991, at St. Ignatius Church in Chicago. He professed final vows at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Chicago on February 2, 2009. 

As a Jesuit, Bob studied philosophy at Loyola University Chicago (1985-1987) and earned a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif. (1990). He spent much of his time as a Jesuit in pastoral ministries. He was the associate pastor of St. Ignatius Church (1991-1992), chaplain at Cook County Hospital (1992-1994 and 1998-2015), and a sacramental minister at St. Fidelis Church in Chicago (1995). Bob also worked in publications and press relations in the Chicago Province Office (1995-1997).  

 

While working at Cook County Hospital, Bob spent many years educating adults in self-assistance programs for the working poor at the Midwest Workers Association in Chicago (1997-2015). Bob moved to Colombiere in 2015 to care for his health.