Joseph Michael Langford

Joseph Langford (1951–2010) was an American Roman Catholic priest and author. He co-founded the Missionaries of Charity Fathers with Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa).

Early life and education He was born on June 15, 1951, in Toledo, Ohio, to Martha Jane Gelin Langford (1924–2015) and Gerald J. Langford (1918–1997). They relocated to San Diego, where he went to Our Lady of Grace Catholic School in nearby El Cajon, and University of San Diego High School, graduating in 1969. After theological studies beginning in 1972 in Rome, he was ordained a priest of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary in 1978. He spoke fluent Italian and Spanish.

Ministry Mother Teresa had already formed the Missionaries of Charity Brothers in 1963. However, she had long expressed a desire for priests to be affiliated with her congregation. In 1972 in Rome, after Joseph Langford read Malcolm Muggeridge's book Something Beautiful for God, he felt called to unite with Mother Teresa. At first he volunteered with the congregation's sisters in Rome, serving at a homeless shelter near the Colosseum. Langford met Mother Teresa several times in Rome as he proceeded towards ordination, as Rome was a frequent stop-off between Calcutta and other world destinations. They set up the first house in the South Bronx, where he wrote the congregation's constitutions. In 1996 they moved the congregation to Tijuana, Mexico, which had similar challenges with poverty as Calcutta, India.

Books

Mother Teresa's Secret Fire: The Encounter that Changed Her Life, and How It Can Transform Your Own (Our Sunday Visitor, 2008). . Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady: Sharing Mother Teresa's Mystical Relationship With Mary (Our Sunday Visitor, 2007). I Thirst: 40 Days With Mother Teresa (Augustine Institute, 2018, posthumous).