Fr. John Baptist was born in California but grew up in Northern Virginia and went to school at the University of Virginia with a degree in Religious Studies and Sociology. He entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) right after college and was ordained a priest in May 2016. He served as a parish priest in New York City for two years and then as the Chaplain at New York University for four years. He now serves as the Chaplain at the University of Louisville.