Father Joe lived with his mother, two sisters and brother in Mars Estates in the 1950s when it was a modest but comfortable neighborhood. Taught by nuns such as Sister Alma Regina and Agnes Eileen and encouraged by priests such as Msgr. Kerr and Father Wagner, all familiar names in the Mt. Carmel family, Joe, now 55, decided to prepare for the priesthood fresh out of eighth grade. If this seems astounding, consider that four others in his graduating class followed suit. "We were actively recruited," Joe recalls. Vocation films and literature were enthusiastically presented to grade schoolers in those days and a significant percentage of students were persuaded to enter the seminary or convent.
For young Joseph, training started at St. Charles College, which actually was four years of high school and the first two years of college. It was located "of all places on Maiden Choice Lane." Father Joe's sense of humor begins to show itself as he continues. St. Charles "was an abysmal place," he recalls. The first of his Mt. Carmel classmates dropped out after just a few days and others followed suit over the years until just Joe remained. Classes were crowded and the dorms were packed with 110 priests in training. They were allowed one day at home for Thanksgiving and a week at Christmas, then it was back to the books.
The last two years of college were at St. Mary's on Paca St., the oldest seminary in the U.S., then on to St. Mary's in Roland Park for four years of Theology. Father Joe was ordained in 1971 and took on his first duties as a parish priest at the Shrine of the Little Flower in Baltimore. Two years later he was assigned to St. Charles parish in Pikesville where he stayed until 1979.
Over the years, Joe began doubting his call to parish priesthood and began looking for outlets for his creative talents. The establishment of the Office of Adult and Family Ministry within the Archdiocese and the position of Coordinator of Evangelization seemed made to order for Father Joe who seized the opportunity and ran with it for ten years. He set his own goals: To invite new people into the Roman Catholic church; to bring back the 15 million inactive Catholics; and to renew the faith of the 55 million active.
Joe sums up his message in four words: "Finding God in all things." He preached, taught, wrote and counseled with those words in mind. There is no object, no experience that cannot be used as a link to God, Father Joe expresses even today in his ministries.
Over time Joe witnessed a growing prejudice against the Catholic church as well as significant anger. The dissolution of the evangelization office in 1989 brought disillusion to Joe who took a two year leave of absence to sort out his emotions. He supported himself by writing and counseling while fine tuning a radio program he started in 1975. WPOC was a new station then. Their staff was calling around to various churches seeking participants for an ecumenical program. Joe just happened to be standing near a church secretary's desk when a call came from the station. He jumped to respond and joined a panel that soon dwindled to one.
Two minute spots within a 6-8 a.m. time slot on Sunday mornings wasn't exactly ideal, but Father Joe stuck with it until the time came when he asked to introduce a whole new format: Spiritual messages interspersed with Top 40 country songs in a half hour show. Once he got the go-ahead, Joe picked the songs carefully and "softly sneaked the spiritual message in." The show caught on and now Father oe has passed his silver anniversary as host of "Country Roads."
After sorting through his talents, Joe approached the Archbishop with a proposal that he would like to devote full time to Special Ministries, writing, preaching and ministering. Archbishop Borders agreed and Father Joe moved into living quarters at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in 1981, more or less as a tenant. Father Joe is not paid as a priest but pays rent and supports himself by selling his books and tapes at missions and retreats as well as teaching, preaching and counseling. "Every week is different," he says with a wide smile.
Father Joe lost both his parents in the early 80s but remains close to his sisters and brother. As the product of a troubled family from a working class neighborhood, he conducts his ministries with a worldly perspective which reflect some non-traditional views. Although dedicated to the priesthood, Father Joe's day to day job is more like that of a traveling troubadour, bringing words of faith, hope and healing to all who will listen. Faithful to God and his Church, yet a bit of a vagabond, Father Joe has found a comfortable niche that allows him to be faithful to his own spirit as well.
His books, audio tapes and video tape, a list of which is available on the website frjoe.com or m_eder.tripod.com (click on Father Joe Breighner) or by calling 410-437-6541, Voice Mailbox 2), may be purchased by writing Father Joe, P.O. Box 1058, Pasadena, MD 21123. Future works include a day to day spiritual calendar, a compilation of radio scripts and, of course, more parish missions, healing services and other outreach. To inquire about Father Joe's ministries or arrange a speaking engagement, phone 410-437-6541, Voice Mailbox 2.
Article courtesy The Avenue News, Essex, MD. Contact author Jackie Nickel at 410-686- 1358.