Ben McCullough is excited to join the St. Ambrose Academy team as a religion teacher! Having spent the last two years in Austria, he recently earned a Masters in Theology from the International Theological Institute, following his Bachelors of Liberal Arts from Wyoming Catholic College.

After spending a childhood in Montana and then his college years in Wyoming, Ben can offer many a tip on survival camping, thanks to his Army Ranger father’s guidance! Though baptized and raised in the Byzantine Catholic Church, growing up in Montana meant being surrounded by Roman Catholic parishes so Ben ‘breathes with both lungs of the Church’ and brings a wonderful perspective on the universal Church through his lived experiences.

Ben has been involved with the National Catholic Bioethics Center as an intern during his university studies and was offered an ongoing fellowship to continue his work in this field. There, he engages with the philosophical underpinnings as well as the magisterial teachings on bioethical questions, works in the personal consultations department taking questions from Catholics on real-life moral dilemmas in which they find themselves, and doing fundraising to support the organization.

Ben and his wife Grace are excited to be in the Midwest where they are closer to family and are eagerly anticipating the birth of their first child, a daughter. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to look for gold in the “wild west”, ask Ben about the gold claim he and his brother own, which resulted in the gold that now adorns his wife’s hand as her engagement ring! When he’s not teaching, Ben can be found spending time with his wife, pursuing interests in geology, mineral-finding, hunting and fishing, and practicing his amateur mechanic skills.