Fr Jon Budke, the eleventh of thirteen children, was raised on the Budke farm near Underwood, MN. After finishing high school in June of 1989, he entered the Legionary novitiate in Cheshire, CT, and made his first profession of vows in 1991. He started his seminary studies with two years of novitiate and one year of humanities, and studied for his B.A. in Philosophy and in Theology in the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum College in Rome, Italy. His pastoral training and experience started with an internship in Maryland, working in youth programs, and a few years later in administration in Orange, CT. After ordination to the priesthood on January 2nd, 2001, his ministry was first serving as school chaplain, spiritual director for the Regnum Christi men, and retreat director in Maryland. He helped found the Legionary of Christ residence in San Jose, CA, while also serving as director and chaplain for groups of Regnum Christi in places like Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, Calgary Alberta, and Saskatoon Saskatchewan. He then moved to Denver, CO, where he served the community of Regnum Christi while also continuing to serve the Pacific NW and western Canada, as retreat director, spiritual director, and working in private Catholic education. He moved to Chicago in the summer of 2011 and served as director of the Legionary community, and as a board member and chaplain of Everest Academy in Lemont until coming to Cheshire.