He was raised in Minneapolis one of the nine children of Ford and Rita Thompson. He spent my grade school studies at St. Margaret Mary School in Golden Valley, and St. Thomas the Apostle grade school in Minneapolis. Later his family moved to Prior Lake. He graduated from Prior Lake High School.
His undergraduate studies were at St. Louis University, graduate studies at Washington Theological Union in D.C., and St. Bonaventure University in Olean, New York in Franciscan Studies.
In 2002 he was incarnated in his home Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis from the Conventual Franciscans to be near his family. He still has a love of his Franciscan roots and spirituality.
For the last few years he filled in pastoral assignments at St. John Neumann Parish in Eagan, Immaculate Conception Parish in Lonsdale, and St. Margaret Mary Parish in Golden Valley. Before that, for thirteen years, he was the pastor at St. Michael Catholic Church in Farmington, Minnesota. He also served as pastor of Most Holy Trinity Parish in St. Louis park for eight years, associate pastor at St. Bonaventure Church in Bloomington, Minnesota, associate pastor at St. Joseph University Parish in Terre Haute, Indiana, serving that parish community and the students attending Indiana State University; he also served at St. Anthony Parish Louisville, Kentucky.