Roger Bacon Theology Teacher Fr. Joshua Richter, OFM, Ordained to the Priesthood

After a lifelong dream and eight years of Franciscan formation, Fr. Josh begins a new chapter in his vocation

Roger Bacon High School is celebrating a special milestone in the life of theology teacher Fr. Joshua Richter, OFM, who was recently ordained to the priesthood.

After years of prayer, discernment, study and formation, Fr. Josh celebrated his ordination this past weekend, officially beginning a new chapter in his vocation as a Franciscan priest.

For Fr. Josh, the moment was the culmination of a dream that began when he was just 12 years old.

“Finally being ordained, I am ecstatic,” Fr. Josh shared following his ordination. “This has been a long journey for me. I had the blessing of being ordained eight years to the day that I started with the friars, and I started here at St. Camillus. And so this, for me, has been a long journey, but it started long before the eight years.”

That journey, he explained, began when he was a child.

“I had the idea of joining the friars when I was 12 and being ordained then,” he said. “So this has been a lifelong goal.”

Eight years after beginning his journey with the Franciscan friars, Fr. Josh found himself standing at the altar as a newly ordained priest — a moment he is still taking time to fully appreciate.

“I’m still trying to soak it all in, but I have so much happiness, excitement and a little nervousness mixed in there of everything that’s going to come because my life is going to change forever,” he said.

While his ordination marks the beginning of a new chapter, Fr. Josh's vocation has already been an important part of the Roger Bacon community. As a theology teacher, he brings his Franciscan vocation into the classroom each day, helping students explore their faith, ask meaningful questions and understand the Franciscan values that are at the heart of a Roger Bacon education.

His new role as a priest adds another dimension to that ministry. Through the priesthood, Fr. Josh will continue to serve the Church while accompanying young people and others on their own journeys of faith.

His story also serves as a powerful example for the students he teaches. A vocation that began as an idea in the heart of a 12-year-old eventually became a lifelong pursuit — one that required patience, discernment and a willingness to follow where God was leading.

That spirit of discernment and service is deeply connected to the mission of Roger Bacon. Rooted in the Franciscan tradition of St. Francis of Assisi, Roger Bacon seeks to form students who recognize their own gifts and calling and use them in service to others.

Fr. Josh’s journey offers the Roger Bacon community a living example of what it means to listen for God's call and have the courage to follow it.

“I am beyond happy after the ordination,” Fr. Josh said. “Words cannot describe how overjoyed and blessed I feel. This has been a long journey for me, and I am very happy to now have been ordained and to start the new journey of the priesthood.”

As Fr. Josh begins that new journey, the Roger Bacon community is grateful to share in this special moment in his vocation and looks forward to the many ways he will continue to serve his students, the school community and the Church.

Congratulations, Fr. Josh! We are blessed to have you as part of the Roger Bacon family and are excited to celebrate this incredible milestone with you.