MORE ABOUT FATHER JOSEPH SCHWAB

New Book:  The Basilica of St. Clare

Joseph Henry Schwab was born in Cincinnati and moved to Phoenix as a teenager, where he graduated from Arcadia High School. His first exposure to the Franciscan Renewal Center was in high school, when he did odd jobs such as setting up meeting rooms, cleaning and making beds, helping in the kitchen and on the grounds. He later attended college at Phoenix College and Arizona State University,

graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Religious Studies and a minor in Biology. Today, he is a lifetime member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Golden Key National Honor Society.

​It was in 1978 that Joe read the life of St. Francis and was “really impressed” with one man’s ability to make such a lasting difference in the world. Joe chose to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis. He entered the Novitiate of the Order and later was

ordained a priest. He continued his education by completing a Master of Theology degree from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif. He lived in Guatemala City to complete his Master’s thesis about education among the impoverished. He holds certifications in Contemporary Spirituality the Kino Institute, a Theology Update Certification from the International Study Centre at Canterbury,

England, and in Pastoral Ministry from the University of Notre Dame. Fr. Joe has served as a part-time teacher at various schools in Phoenix, as Vicar at Old

Mission Santa Barbara in California, Guardian at St. Elizabeth’s Friary in Oakland, Calif., and as secretary to the Provincial of the Province of Saint Barbara. Fr. Joe served as executive director of the Franciscan Renewal Center for 25 years and now

is the President of Old Mission Santa Barbara.

​Fr. Joe also leads annual pilgrimages to Assisi, Italy, and enjoys gardening, hiking,

bicycling, recorded books, exercising, missions, colonial art and cooking.