Anthony did all the right Catholic things: he went to mass every Sunday, he discerned the priesthood as a seminarian, he worked in ministry. But when a chronic illness destroyed his health, he underwent a crisis of faith, and left the church. But when Anthony encountered the story of Saint Maximillian Kolbe, he was shocked by details that he hadn’t heard before, and a journey of recovery began through a new and unlikely friendship with this saint. The meditation on St. Kolbe’s time in the cell led Anthony, a longtime storyteller, to write and direct the feature film, Triumph of the Heart, to share Kolbe’s heroic martyrdom of love with the world.
Anthony began his career by forging his fascination with effective storytelling and evangelization as Youth Outreach Developer at St. Francis Catholic Church. His desire to affect culture led him into starting Sherwood Fellows, a marketing agency dedicated to assisting organizations to communicate the gospel to a greater audience. He co-founded Catholic Creatives, a tribe of like-minded men and women building events and digital spaces for Catholic innovators, entrepreneurs, and artists to collaborate in reshaping the way that the gospel is presented to this generation. As part of his work there, Anthony presented his unique ideas and approaches at several large events, including the OSV Innovation Challenge. Catholic Creatives was sold to Catholic Ventures in 2020.
Simultaneously, Anthony began building Sherwood Fellows. Since its founding, Sherwood Fellows has told the stories of over a hundred companies and doubled down on the commitment to beautiful and effective narratives. In 2023, Anthony transitioned full time to Head of Story at Sherwood Fellows, and began writing, directing, and producing The Triumph of the Heart.
Anthony earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Catholic Studies in Literature from the University of St. Thomas, in Houston, Texas. When he’s not traveling across the world for the filming and promotion of The Triumph of the Heart, he might be found enjoying some of his favorite things: a simmering pot of homemade Italian red sauce, keeping houseplants alive, and writing poetry.
To Love Is to Die, and Also to Live -
Hear Anthony’s witness of the raw, difficult, and vulnerable rediscovery of faith in the depths of chronic illness and grief through meditation on the story of St. Maximillian Kolbe’s passion and death. Anthony shares his encounter with St. Maximilian Kolbe, how St. Maximilian helped him out of the trenches, and his story of creating a feature film to repay his debt to this friend in Heaven.
