Joe Lonergan grew up in Los Angeles and now resides in Carlsbad, California with his wife, Carmen. He is the proud father of one daughter. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1980, an Master’s of Divinity from Franciscan School of Theology (FST) in 2020 and is certified as a spiritual director. He currently serves as Director of Student Services and Spiritual Formation at FST. He has served as a retreat coordinator and speaker, on the Diocese of San Diego Review Board and continues to be active with Illuman, a non-profit, non-denominational organization to help men to do deep inner work, build relationships with God, other men and creation and find what is theirs to give to the world.
With Illuman, an organization he has been a part of for twenty years, Joe has served as a team member on Men’s Rites of Passages throughout the United States. He has worked with Anne Richardson, author of Not Alone: Transforming Trauma and Accompanying Survivors offering workshops to ministers, teachers or spiritual directors who happen to encounter those who have suffered trauma in any form, especially sexual trauma.
Joe is also an author of a chapter in Made To Overcome, a book containing stories of survivors of sexual abuse. Joe offers spiritual direction and guidance to men of all faiths.