Brother Ambrose was born in Boston, Mass., on Dec. 6, 1946. Over the course of the last 60 years, Brother Ambrose has lived in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, Wyoming, Colorado, California and Guam. He has worked as a photographer, pressman, painter, teacher, educational administrator, art consultant, library coordinator, verger, "minister," artist, dishwasher, kennel assistant, landscaper, counselor, guest master, vocations director, assistant shepherd (sheep) and farmworker.

Brother Ambrose has lived in a family of six, been married, lived alone, and lived in community. He has belonged to professional educational organizations, a motorcycle club, the American Philatelic Society and the Sea Scouts. Along his spiritual path he has "churched with" Unitarian/Universalists, Episcopalians and the Eastern Orthodox, as well as being a tertiary in the Society of St. Francis (TSSF), novice (monk) in an Eastern Orthodox monastery in California, and a monk of New Skete. Brother Ambrose was educated in public as well as private schools, including Purdue University, the University of Northern Colorado (B.A., fine arts education), University of Guam, Harvard University and Episcopal Divinity School (M.A., pastoral theology). He was a stamp collector in pre-monastic life, but now his hobbies include walking, reading, cryptograms and listening to music.

"States change, jobs change, 'families' change, but through it all, there have always been dogs (and a few cats, a donkey and a monkey!)," explains Brother Ambrose.