Father Dardis was born and raised in New Orleans as the eighth child in a family of ten.  He attended Holy Name of Jesus School and parish.  Graduating from Christian Brothers School in 1992, he went on to Jesuit where he finished in 1997.  

He entered the Texas A&M Corps on a Marine Corps scholarship and was involved in student ministry at St. Mary's Catholic Church.  It was there that he most strongly felt the calling to the priesthood.

In 1998 he entered the Legionaries of Christ in Connecticut as a Religious, ministering for twelve years in New England, Mexico, New York and Italy.  With an Associate's Degree in Humanities from Connecticut, and a Licentiate in Philosophy and Bachelor's in Theology from the Regina Apostolorum Athenaeum in Rome, Father Stephen has gratefully found himself well equipped for the journey.

He was ordained to the Priesthood in Rome on December 15th, 2012, by Cardinal Velasio De Paolis.  After returning for further outreach in New York, he was sent to New Orleans in 2013.  He served for three years as Chaplain of Christian Brothers School with the Legionaries and in 2015 he began his transition into the Diocesan Priesthood as the Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes in Slidell.

He has been serving as Pastor at Holy Family Church since July 2018 and is Dean of the River Parishes.