Fr. Jerome Paul Kaywell was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 5, 1953, At the age of seventeen, he left home to join the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance in Loretto, Pennsylvania. After five years of Franciscan spiritual formation, he commenced a secular career in music, concentrating on composing and producing background music for television and film. He won numerous awards. After a serious bout with lymphatic cancer, he resumed his studies for the priesthood at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida. He was ordained on October 25, 1991 and currently serves as Pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Punta Gorda, Florida.