Joseph G. Healey

Joseph Graham Healey is an American academic who specializes in Small Christian Communities (also known as Basic ecclesial community) as a teacher, researcher, and writer.

Father Healey is a communications specialist with experience in the United States and Eastern Africa.

Healey was born in Detroit, Michigan on April 29, 1938.

His grandfather was horse trainer T.J. Healey and his mother was a homemaker.

He attended Maryknoll Seminary, graduating with a B.A. in 1961.

In 1966 he graduated with a masters of theology from the University of Missouri.

In 1968, Healey became a Maryknoll missionary priest, relocating to East Africa and becoming the leader of the social communications office of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa.

While in Africa, Healey recorded the traditional proverbs of cultures including Sukumu of Tanzania—trying to demonstrate how the use of these proverbs could be used for evangelizing methods.

His written collections also include his experiences from his missionary expeditions, and highlights the spiritual tradition of the areas he has taken up residence in.

In describing his work Mary Ann Brussat wrote that, “The reader will find material on creation, life, family, community, good times and bad times, joy and celebration, cultural matters, and seeds of God in African soil.”

He remained in East Africa for the duration of his career, developing and writing about small Christian communities within areas dominated by alternate religions.

He has also worked with members of other faiths as an author and evangelist.

In his analysis of African faith stories, Healey has called them a “fifth gospel”, a controversial phrase that describes the use of faith stories for expressing Christian ideas to those of a non-Christian background.

Much of his written work has tried to establish a model of evangelizing in Africa that can be followed by other missionaries.

Communities where Healey has worked include Nairobi, Kenya, as well as Rulenge, Musoma, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

In Tanzania he has also served as the Mission Awareness Committee of the Catholic Men Religious Superiors' Association.

Additional nations he has worked in include Uganda and Zambia.

In 1968 he founded the Social Communications Office of the Association of the Catholic Bishops Conferences in Eastern Africa, and in 1969 he was the press secretary for the Pope’s visit to Uganda.

In 1969 Healey received the Pro Ecclesia Papal Medal of the Vatican.

Between 1979 and 1982, Healey then served as the Spiritual Director of the Maryknoll School of Theology.

In 1981 he received a further graduate degree from Creighton University.

Healey is the brother of Thomas J. Healey.

In 2013 Healey then received the Msgr.

Thomas A, Keissler Award from RENEW International.

In the journal Proverbium, the "International Bibliography of New and Reprinted Proverb Collections" was dedicated to Healey.

Father Healey has served as the appointed Chairperson of the Communications Sub-committee of the Cardinal Otunga Beatification Process.

He has also served as the moderator of the African Proverbs Working Group.