This year, Frater Vincent Tafacory, a Norbertine who has spent most of his life traveling between Dallas and Door County, has joined the NDA community to teach theology and help with ministry. 

Tafacory was born in Dallas, Texas, and moved to Door County when he was three years old. 

He moved back to Dallas when he was 12 and lived there until he was 22 years old.

“I had so many neighborhood friends and we would always play on weekends and after school,” Tafacory explained. “I loved it there.” 

He had a double major in business admin and marketing at the University of Texas. 

“I spent over 10 years as vice president of my father’s business called Auto Care European,” he recalled. 

Tafacory, after moving back and forth between Door County and Texas a couple of times, joined the Norbertines about two years ago. 

“I had a friend who is a Norbertine Associate and I was interested in the Diocesan priesthood,” he said. “I was scared of being alone my whole life and wanted more of a community.”

He moved to Texas for a year in 2018 to look at other options before committing to the seminary but found that the community around him was what made him happy and that living in a rectory was not right for him. 

“I visited the St. Norbert Abbey and fell in love right away,” he said. “Everyone was so nice, and they have the nicest apostolates around.”

In terms of hobbies, the frater enjoys staying active. 

“I used to run quite often and have been getting back into that lately,” said Tafacory. 

He also enjoys praying the rosary, spending time with family and friends, going to movies, playing mini-golf, playing video games, and trying new things. 

Tafacory claimed that the year has so far been “challenging at times but also super rewarding.”

The Norbertine enjoys being around both students that love God and those that don’t. 

“I have always been told I am a good personality/people person, so I seem to fit in well here,” he explained. “My Google Classroom, on the other hand, has been giving me issues, so I will be happy once that is figured out.”

Tafacory is looking forward to watching his students grow closer to God. 

“The number one thing to learn, in my opinion, is our faith,” he said. “It is something that will transform students’ lives if they let it.”