Patrick Vilim

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Patrick Vilim completed his undergraduate studies in Biology at the University of Texas at Austin in 1988. He moved to Rome, Italy to study theology and graduated with an STB degree in Theology from the Gregorian University in 1994. While in Rome, he worked with the Movimento Apostolico Ciechi, an organization that advocates for and provides services to the visually impaired. When he returned to the United States, he completed a MA in Pastoral Ministry in 1995 at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. He subsequently studied Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico, which prepared him to work in bilingual community outreach in Texas and Illinois. In 2000, he joined his brother to open a restaurant, Mirabelle, in Austin, Texas where he served as a mangaing partner for ten years. During the last five years at the restaurant, he led culinary and cultural tours in Italy through a small business he created, Mirabelle Travel. He returned to the University of Texas in 2010 to complete an undergraduate major in Italian, and began the graduate program in Italian Studies in 2011. While in Austin, Patrick has volunteered with the Wright House Wellness Center and AIDS Services of Austin. He enjoys traveling, reading, and wine tasting.