Father Stephen Fichter, Ph.D. and Salutatorian of the Class of 1985, was ordained in Rome on the first day of the Third Christian Millennium. While studying in Europe for 12 years, Stephen served as seminary formator, vice rector, and chief financial officer. At the same time he earned two Master’s degrees: one in Philosophy and one in Theology. Upon his return to the US in late 2000, he received a third Masters degree in Social Work from Fordham, and then another Masters and a Doctorate in Sociology from Rutgers. During those years he served as parochial vicar at Saint Gabriel Parish in Saddle River, where he founded their FOCUS youth group. He became pastor of Sacred Heart in Haworth in 2008, where he founded the VITA youth group. Every summer he has led his youth group on week long mission trips from Africa to Alaska, from New Orleans to South Dakota. Stephen is a research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown and is an author of two books: Same Call, Different Men and Shepherding in Greener Pastures. He will publish his third book, a first-ever comprehensive look at American Catholic Bishops, in 2018. Stephen is also a visiting scholar at Fordham and co-developer of the PeaceQuest app, a 3D immersive prayer experience.