Joseph G. Healey

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Joseph Graham Healey is considered one of the leading researchers, compilers and writers on African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories. He is a consultor to the African Proverbs Project and various journals. [1] He is featured in the International Who's Who of Intellectuals, International Authors and Writers Who's Who, International Directory of Distinguised Leadership, and Contemporary Authors.

Contents

[edit] Biography

He was born on April 29, 1938 in Detroit, Michigan, son of John Anthony Healey and Virginia Mary Graham. At an early age his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He has two brothers, three stepbrothers and one sister. He attended Gilman School and graduated from Portsmouth Abbey High School in Rhode Island in June 1956. After three years at Princeton University he entered Maryknoll College, Glen Ellyn, Illinois, on September 4, 1959. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Maryknoll College in June 1961, and his Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees from Maryknoll Society of Priests and Brothers Seminary in New York. He was ordained a priest there on June 11, 1966. After ordination, Father Healey received a Masters degree in Journalism (International Communications) at the University of Missouri in 1968 and then worked for the Maryknoll Magazine at Maryknoll, New York and produced religion television programs for the local NBC affiliate station in New York City.[2]

In 1968 he was assigned to the 'then' Maryknoll Africa Region. In 1968 he founded the Social Communications Office of AMECEA (Association of the Catholic Bishops Conferences in Eastern Africa) based in Nairobi, Kenya and was the Social Communications Secretary from 1969-1974. He served as Editor of AMECEA Communications and conducted training workshops in communications media. He served as the Church Press Officer during Pope Paul VI's visit to Uganda in 1969 and during various Regional and Continental Bishops Meetings. For this service in 1969 he received the Pro Ecclesia papal medal from the Vatican. After a spiritual renewal sabbatical he lived a ministry of spiritual presence in Nyabihanga Village in Rulenge, Tanzania from 1976-1978. In 1979 he was assigned to Maryknoll's Formation-Education Department and coordinated the Integration Year and taught mission spirituality at Maryknoll Seminary, New York. He received a Master degree in Christian Spirituality from Creighton University in 1981.

After returning to the Tanzania Region in 1982, Father Healey worked in the Iramba Parish in Musoma Diocese, where he concentrated on building Small Christian Communities and developing the Adult Catechumenate (RCIA). In February 1987, he became the Social Communications Coordinator of the Africa Region of the Maryknoll Missionaries based at Makoko, Musoma. He did research on African proverbs, sayings and stories and gave occasional lectures on inculturation at the Makoko Language School.

On August 25, 1989, Father Healey was appointed the Second Assistant to the Regional Superior of the Maryknoll Tanzania Mission Region. For many years he was the Editorial Advisor to two publications, Communicatio Socialis Yearbook and New People. On September 18, 1989 he was elected Second Chapter Delegate for the Tanzania Region and attended the Ninth General Chapter of the Maryknoll Society at Maryknoll, New York in October 1990.

In November 1994, Fr. Healey moved to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he worked in a variety of mission, communications and pastoral ministries. He was the Chairperson and later Coordinator of the Mission Awareness Committee (MAC) of the Religious Superiors' Association of Tanzania (RSAT). He was a member of the St. Charles Lwanga Jesus Small Christian Community (SCC) in Drive-in Estate and a member of the Jesus Caritas Fraternity. He was the Local Superior of the Maryknoll Society House in Masaki, Msasani.

In March 2007 Father Healey moved to Nairobi, Kenya. Presently he is the Editor of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Africa Region Newsletter and is the representative of the Maryknoll Africa Region on the Orbis Books Advisory Board. He is the Moderator of the "African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website" at http://www.afriprov.org and the Networking Coordinator of the “Small Christian Communities Global Collaborative Website” at http://www.smallchristiancommunities.org.[3]

In the January 2008 he began teaching an Elective Course on "Small Christian Communities As a New Model of Church in Africa" at both Hekima College and Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya.

[edit] Works

He has written extensively on Small Christian Communities, African proverbs, sayings and stories, communications, inculturation, and mission. His books include

  • A Fifth Gospel: The Experience of Black Christian Values (Orbis Books, 1981)
  • Kuishi lnjili -- Living the Gospel (Benedictine Publications, 1982)
  • Kueneza Injili Kwa Methali -- Preaching the Gospel Through Proverbs (Benedictine Publications, 1984)
  • What Language Does God Speak: African Stories About Christmas and Easter (St. Paul Publications, 1989)
  • Kugundua Mbegu za Injili -- Discovering Seeds of the Gospel (Benedictine Publications, 1993)
  • Je, Mungu Anasema Lugha Gani? (Benedictine Publications, 1993)
  • Towards An African Narrative Theology (first printed in 1996 and now in the following editions: Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 7th Printing 2007 and Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 4th Reprint 2005)
  • Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom and Joy(Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2004)It was selected as one of The Best Spiritual Books of 2004 by Spirituality & Health Magazine Award.[4]
  • African Stories for Preachers and Teachers (Paulines Publications Africa, 2005)
  • Small Christian Communities Today: Capturing the New Moment (edited with Jeanne Hinton) (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2005).


[edit] Further Readings About the Author

PERIODICALS[5]

Advocate, November 10, 1982.

America, May 1, 1980.

Baltimore Sun, August 20, 1969.

Catholic Review, May 1, 1975; April 15, 1981.

Faces of Africa, February, 1992.

Maryknoll, November, 1974; August, 1975; October, 1983.

Maryknoll in Touch, February, 1992.

Portsmouth Abbey School Bulletin, Winter 2002.

Maryknoll News, June 19, 2006.

The Beacon, July 6, 2006.


[edit] References

  1. ^ Moderator of African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website, Welcome Message, http://www.afriprov.org/welcome.htm
  2. ^ Maryknoll Africa, http://www.maryknollafrica.org/BioHealey.htm
  3. ^ smallchristiancommunities - About us
  4. ^ Barnes & Noble.com - Books: Once upon a Time in Africa, by Joseph G. Healey, Paperback
  5. ^ Source: Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2007.

1. Moderator of African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website, Welcome Message, http://www.afriprov.org/welcome.htm
2. Maryknoll Africa, http://www.maryknollafrica.org/BioHealey.htm
3. Networking Coordinator of the “Small Christian Communities Global Collaborative Website” at http://smallchristiancommunities.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=32
4. Once Upon a Time in Africa: Stories of Wisdom and Joy (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2004) It was selected as one of The Best Spiritual Books of 2004 by Spirituality & Health Magazine Award.[1]
5. Source: Contemporary Authors Online, Thomson Gale, 2007.


[edit] External links

1. African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories, http://www.afriprov.org
2. Maryknoll Africa, http://www.maryknollafrica.org
3. Orbis Books, http://orbisbooks.com
4. Small Christian Communities Global Collaborative Website, http://smallchristiancommunities.org