Provincial Director of Vocations Fr. Sam Citero was ordained on November 24, 1984. He was born in Passaic New Jersey, attended St. Anthony School in Passaic and graduated from St. Brendan School in Clifton, N.J. in 1970. He attended Mt. Carmel Prep Seminary in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. After Graduation in 1974 he attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he received a B.A. in Liberal Arts in 1978. Fr. Sam then entered the Carmelite Novitiate in Williamstown, MA and professed his first vows in 1979. From 1979 until 1981 he was an intern at St. Therese parish in Cresskill, NJ where he served in a variety of different ministries. He then attended the Washington Theological Union where he received his Master of Divinity degree in 1984. After his ordination in 1984 he served briefly as parochial vicar at St. Cecilia Church in Englewood, NJ. From 1984 until 1989 he was campus minister and religion teacher at Joliet Catholic High School in Joliet, Illinois. From 1989 until 1996 Fr. Sam held positions in campus ministry at DePaul University in Chicago, Il and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. From 1996 until 2000 he was the director of the Carmelite Volunteer Program in Chicago, Illinois. In 2000 Fr. Sam became the parochial vicar of St. Therese Church in Cresskill, NJ where he served until joining the vocation team in July of 2006. Read Father Sam's vocation story Director of Hispanic Vocations Carmelitas En Español: http://www.carmelitas.org Carmelite Father Gregory Houck was ordained a priest in May of 1992. He was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Highland, Indiana, having attended their elementary school before going on to Highland High School. Greg earned his BS in Chemistry in 1981 from Indiana University. He worked as a lab technician before joining the Carmelite Order in 1985. During his two-year internship Houck taught Chemistry at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, Arizona. Continuing his education for priesthood, in 1992, he received his Masters in Theology from Washington Theological Union. For the next six years after his ordination, Father Greg was associate pastor at Saint Johns Parish in Leonia, New Jersey. In 1998 he became Formation Director for Casa Santa Teresita in Houston, a position he still holds today. Along with his new position in Hispanic vocations, he continues to serve as Editor of the Carmelite Review, an international province magazine. When not on the job, Father Gregory enjoys jogging, tennis and gardening. Read Fr. Greg's vocation story The vocation "bug" bit Fr. Brian Henden in high school, where he met the Carmelites at Salpointe High School in Tucson. But, by the time he got to college, Fr. Brian was enjoying himself too much to think about becoming a priest. Still, he was very involved in the Newman Center at the University of Arizona, where he studied political science and philosophy. The Carmelites kept in touch while he was in college and after graduating in 1985, he joined them and moved to Washington, DC, for further studies. Fr. Brian had the opportunity to teach one year and be a youth minister for two years. These two experiences have helped work in high school ministry, parish ministry, and as a retreat director for teens. He attended the Washington Theological Union and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 1993. After ordination that same year, Fr. Brian was assigned to St. Therese in Cresskill, NJ. He ran the RCIA, sacramental preparation program, and helped with youth ministry. He says, "One of my favorite things was teaching religion on Fridays in the parish's Junior High. This prepared me for seven years of teaching at my alma mater, Salpointe Catholic High School, in Tucson. I taught part-time there and worked full-time as the Director of Kairos retreats for seniors." Now he's excited about vocations. "The Carmelites have been super to me. It is a privilege to be a Carmelite priest, to teach, and to serve wonderful people at every 'stop.'" Fr. Brian is the oldest of six children. He enjoys walking, jogging, swimming, and Sports Center. Read Father Brian's vocation story