My Roots

I am originally from Texas and grew up in an Episcopal parish that was deeply committed to liturgy, community, and learning. During my teen years, some members of my parish, including two of our priests, became Catholic. It was a formative journey for me, and I am indebted both to my deep roots and to the Church I now call home.

My Work

I began teaching Scripture, theology, and spirituality to adults in 2008. I currently serve on the faculty of the New England Catholic Biblical School and am an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University. I enjoy the community of a classroom as well as meeting new people at the parishes and places I visit.

In 2019, I became the director of Little Rock Scripture Study at Liturgical Press. Directing this program and sharing in its mission of breaking open God's Word is a joy and a privilege. I also serve as special content editor at Liturgical Press.

My published work can be found in a variety of Catholic publications, including Give Us This Day and The Bible Today. 

My latest book Stretch Out Your Hand: Reflections on the Healing Ministry of Jesus—will be available in January 2025 from Liturgical Press. I am also the author of the award-winning prayer resource Come to Me, All of You: Stations of the Cross in the Voice of Christ, as well as three volumes in Little Rock Scripture Study's Alive in the Word series (Lent, Advent, and Finding Peace).

My last name is pronounced AY-kay.

To view my CV, click here.

To read testimonials about my work, click here.

To see my available books, click here.

My Family

I met my husband Ono in graduate school at Catholic University where we both studied theology. 

We married in 2000 and lived in southern Maryland for eleven years. In 2011, we moved to Milford, Connecticut, where we currently live with our four children:

Reya (23), Siobhan (21), Julian (14), and Eli (12). 

My family keeps me busy and happy!