Staff Member

Mike Johnson, OFM grew up in western Massachusetts and met the friars at Siena College. From there, he studied at UConn Law and practiced law in Enfield for 13 years. In 1990, he reconnected with the Franciscans, when they arrived at St. Patrick’s and Anthony. Encouraged by the friars, he volunteered in AIDS ministry and strategic planning and served both as President of the Parish Council. Since joining the Franciscans in 1995 he’s worked in a wide variety of ministries, from supervising attorney in a RI law school legal clinic, to Hospice Chaplain outside DC to working with youth in the slums of Peru. For five years Mike served as Chaplin and vocational rehab director of a Bolivian maximum-security prison.

For fifteen years he ministered at St Camillus, a large multicultural parish outside DC, the last eight as Pastor. In 2005 Mike founded St. Francis Builds, a Franciscan mission experience which combines Franciscan retreat with the construction of houses and schools in poor communities. He’s led over 30 mission trips to 10 different countries and US sites affected by natural disasters. In 2010 he co-founded the national award-winning Saint Francis International School. Most recently Mike served as Vicar of the friar community in Boston. Mike will be splitting time between St Patrick/St Anthony and his new position as Director of a new Franciscan formation program called Brothers Walking Together. The program guides younger friars through a nine-month immersion experience working with the poor in another culture. In addition to mission work, Mike’s interests include contemplative and street photography and gardening. He also blogs at http://reflectionsofafranciscangardener.blogspot.com musing on finding God in the garden and the messiness of ordinary life.