Father Benedict J. Groeschel
Popular Franciscan priest, Father Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR was born Peter Groeschel in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 23, 1933. He was the oldest of six children of parents Marjule and Edward. Peter Groeschel attended grade school at St. Aloysius in Caldwell, New Jersey and Immaculate Conception High school in Montclair, NJ. He entered the Capuchin Order on July 6, 1951. At the beginning of Novitiate, he was given the name Benedict Joseph on September 1, 1952. On June 20, 1959, at the age of 26, he was ordained a priest.
As a Capuchin priest he obtained a Masters Degree in Counseling from Iona College in 1964 and a Doctorate in Psychology from Columbia University in 1971.
In 1960, Father Benedict became the chaplain of the Children's Village, a facility for emotionally disturbed children in Dobbs Ferry, New York where he served for 14 years. In 1965, he joined the staff of St. Joseph's Seminary and has taught classes at Fordham University, Iona College and Maryknoll Seminary. In 1967, he founded The St. Francis House in Brooklyn which provides a safe haven for young men looking for a new start in life. The results of his counseling, teaching ability and the manner in which he treated his subjects attracted the attention of many, including Cardinal Terence Cooke, then Archbishop of New York. In 1974, Cardinal Cooke asked Father Benedict to initiate and direct a program for spiritual development for the Archdiocese, especially for priests at Trinity Retreat in Larchmont, New York where he continues to serve today providing spiritual direction and retreats for clergy. Also in 1974, Father Benedict was named to the Council of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Mary and served as delegate to the general chapter of the Capuchins. In 1984, New York's John Cardinal O'Connor appointed Fr. Benedict to the position of promoter of the cause of Canonization of the Servant of God Terence Cardinal Cooke.
As spiritual director to Christopher Bell, the two in 1985 co-founded the Good Counsel Homes for homeless pregnant women and children. Father Benedict is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Good Counsel Homes and has seen the agency grow from one home to five.
In a personally painful move during 1987, Father Benedict and seven other Capuchins left the order and began a new religious community called The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, dedicated to an authentic following of Jesus Christ - following in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. As of 2008, the community has over 135 friars and 30 sisters and serves in New York City, Albuquerque, Fort Worth, London, Limerick in Ireland, and Comayagua in Honduras. The friars opened a new friary in Matagalpa in Nicaragua in 2008.
As an adjunct professor at the Institute of Psychological Sciences since 2000, Fr. Benedict has taught an annual intensive course focused on how to give practical assistance to people experiencing trauma, extreme stress, and sorrow - while at the same time integrating religious values with counseling and psychotherapy. Father Benedict is the author of more than 30 books and has recorded more than 100 audio and video series, some of which have been turned into television programs for the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). Father Benedict currently hosts a weekly EWTN television program, "Sunday Night Live with Father Benedict Groeschel" that airs at 7 p.m. each Sunday.
In January 2004, Father Benedict was involved in a critical accident when he was struck by a car outside of the Orlando International Airport in Florida. He received a head injury and broken bones, and had no blood pressure, heartbeat or pulse for about 27 minutes. He remained in the intensive care for several months and had multiple operations for fractures of his leg and arm, as well as treatment for a near-fatal heart attack. While he was recovering from his injuries, he collaborated with John Bishop on the book "There Are No Accidents: In All Things Trust in God," and ten months later after the accident, he broadcast his first live program on EWTN on October 24, 2004. Although the accident left him with limited use of his right arm and difficulty in walking, by the end of 2004, he was back out preaching, giving retreats and he has continued to keep a full schedule. Many consider his recovery close to a miracle. Today he remains a well sought after teacher, counselor, preacher, retreat master, author and spiritual director.
