Soon-to-be ordained friar found his faith in the forest

One year ago, Br. Joshua Richter, OFM, professed solemn vows as a Franciscan friar. On Aug. 21, he will take another step in his vocational journey when he is ordained a priest for the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. His childhood, a close family friend and the sounds of nature helped him to discover his calling and become the person he is today.

(In the photo above, Br. Joshua serves at St. Peter's in the Loop in Chicago. Photo courtesy of Br. Octavio Duran, OFM)

Br. Joshua began to feel the stirrings of a vocation to the priesthood as a 12-year-old. He would observe his pastor during Mass at St. Julie Billiart Parish in Hamilton, Ohio, wondering if perhaps one day he could have a similar impact on others.

"I was trying to figure out what to do with my life," Br. Joshua, now 29, recalled. As he grew older, he embraced the idea that "I wanted to help others find the love of God, to find peace in their daily struggles."

Br. Joshua also felt the pull of contemplation in nature, much like St. Francis of Assisi. His Franciscan-like reflection began as he wandered through a forest near his home.

"I would go into the woods to pray and talk to God," he said. What he found there was not necessarily quiet. The calls of the birds and other animals often filled the air. It was the beginning of a discovery that "I could find God in the sounds of nature."

Growing up as a middle child – one of seven children – Br. Joshua experienced community life at a young age. He was homeschooled, and his devout mother frequently volunteered and worked at the parish. Daily Mass was a part of his school day.

When his family befriended Br. Manuel Viera, OFM, who served in Cincinnati at the time, Br. Joshua felt called to explore Franciscan life, even sharing meals and reflections with local friars.

What he discovered there was a joyful, welcoming community.

"They were a great group of guys who truly loved each other. They knew how to pick on each other; but they also knew how to back each other up," he said.

Br. Joshua spent part of his younger years helping with the family’s pizza business, joining his uncle and cousins, learning how to be part of a working team.

After graduating with a degree in environmental studies from Miami University in Ohio in 2019, he entered the postulancy program in Silver Spring, Maryland. During his years in formation, he learned about the diversity of Franciscan ministries around the country, from Cincinnati to Chicago to Santa Barbara, California. The process shaped his understanding of Franciscan values, and he applied what he learned to his experiences.

"It taught me about the integration of God with my spiritual life, with myself and my human life," he said. "I will not do everything completely perfectly. But there is healing in that."

During his studies, Br. Joshua served with Reading Partners, providing guidance to young students in the Washington D.C. area. He found fulfillment in supporting students who struggled in the classroom, helping them to eventually reach above-average standards. "I was amazed to see how these students developed."

In Santa Barbara, he worked with the elderly at a facility run by the Daughters of Charity, helping residents navigate email and other electronic forms of communication. In Chicago, he worked in religious education at St. Jerome Catholic School and assisted at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii in Little Italy. In Philadelphia, he served guests at St. Francis Inn’s soup kitchen. Many of the guests contend with poverty yet, through long conversations, he discovered that "they could see how God was working in their lives." In New Orleans he ministered at a largely African American parish.

Through it all, he brought the faith he first encountered back home in Ohio.

"I was set on fire by my faith," he recalled from his younger years.

Br. Joshua currently serves as a religion teacher at Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati.

On Friday, Aug. 21, Brothers Joshua Richter, OFM, and Maikel Gómez Pérez, OFM, will be ordained priests at St. Camillus Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland.

On Saturday, Aug. 22, eight friars will profess solemn vows at St. Camillus Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland: Brothers Domingo Martinez, OFM; Tyler Grudi, OFM; Kevin Hamzik, OFM; Phillip McCarter, OFM; Brian Menezes, OFM; Joan JP Perez-Lombera, OFM; Carlos Portillo, OFM; and Nathaniel Tran, OFM.

This article was originally published in The Franciscan Way, a publication of Franciscan Friars Charities, the charitable arm of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.