Deacon Joe was born in December 1944 and was raised in West Mifflin. After graduating from West Mifflin South High school in 1962 and then Clarion State College in 1966, Deacon Joe served as a teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools for 33 years. He was married in 1967 to Rachel Kosko and has 4 children. After Deacon Joe's ordination in June 1999, he was sent to Saint Winifred Church and has served as a permanent deacon there for 20 years. Deacon Joe helps to support various ministries at the church, specifically with visiting the sick and hosting bereavement ministries. When Deacon Joe is off campus, he also ministers to incarcerated persons at the Maximum Security Prison in Waynesburg, PA.