About

About Frank Desiderio

Frank Desiderio, C.S.P., is a poet, priest, producer, and organizational leader with a career spent working at the intersection of progressive Catholic theology and pastoral communications in multiple mediums. With Master’s degrees in Theology and Communications, Frank has done everything from teaching homiletics to producing documentaries, television movies, and video content for Internet distribution.

A Poet and Author

Fr. Frank is a poet whose verse has appeared in the Spring Hill Review, Amethyst Magazine, America Magazine (online edition), Presence, Prairie Messenger, As Surely As the Sun, Bread of Life, Gnashing Teeth’s ‘zine, and the anthologies Moving Image: Poetry Inspired by Film, Thin Places & Sacred Spaces and other journals. In 2012, he and his sister, Mimi Moriarty, co-authored the poetry book, “Sibling Reverie” from Finishing Line Press. 

In 2014, he published “Can You Let Go of a Grudge: Learning to Forgive and Get On with Your Life” with Paulist Press. He lives in New York City, where he is a full-time poet who publishes two original poems weekly at Holy Poetry on Substack: https://holipoetry.substack.com.

In 2006, Desiderio was chaplain at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, NY.  He has participated in poetry workshops and retreats in Los Angeles, Boston and New York. He has also led retreats on preaching and poetry. 

Desiderio’s Career

Fr. Frank was a member and part of the leadership team of the Paulist Fathers in New York from 2014 until his retirement in 2023. The Paulist Fathers was the first order of Catholic priests founded in the United States (1858). In his role with the organization, he was involved in financial planning, budgeting and financial management, real estate management, investment management, human resources, communications, and fundraising, including donor cultivation. His achievements included securing a seven-figure gift from a foundation and generating additional funds for a successful $30 million capital campaign to build a seminary, renovate a rectory in New York City that is home to 25 priests, educate seminarians, and care for elderly priests.

At the same time, Fr. Frank was the Director of St. Mary’s of the Lake in Lake George, New York, a seasonal retreat center and local chapel with five historical buildings on 75 acres. His role included welcoming and ministering to visitors and the local community, hiring and managing seasonal staff, and ensuring the upkeep and beauty of all buildings and grounds.

Fr. Frank was the Director at the Paulist Center in Boston for four years (2010-2014), where he managed a staff of 10 and a board of eight. The Paulist Center is known for its active social justice ministry, which includes hosting the longest-running weekly hot meal program for people living on the street, “The Wednesday Night Supper Club.”

He also served as rector of St. Paul’s College, the Paulist Father’s seminary, in Washington, D.C. During his seven years in Washington, he taught preaching at Catholic University and Pastoral Communication Skills at the Washington Theological Union. 

Ordained in 1982, Frank served as the Director of Campus Ministry at the University Catholic Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. During his four years as Director, he oversaw the expansion of the staff and ministry of the center and served as a volunteer chaplain for the UCLA Olympic Village in 1984. He also wrote a weekly column for the Daily Bruin and initiated outreach programs to the campus. 

Executive Producer of Films, Documentaries

Fr. Frank served as president of Paulist Productions and executive producer of more than 25 hours of television documentaries and movies for outlets including the History Channel, A&E, Hallmark, ABC, and Britain’s Channel 4. He generated ideas, developed concepts, hired writers and producers, edited scripts, negotiated and managed contracts and budgets, and oversaw production and promotion.

His credits include the ABC/Paramount movie Judas, which aired on ABC Television (2002); a webisode series, Tyler’s Ride; and a documentary film, The Big Question: A Film About Forgiveness, which premiered at the Sedona International Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the Breckenridge Film Festival and Santa Fe Metaphysical Film Festival. The documentary was the catalyst for Fr. Frank to create and facilitate one to four-day retreats throughout the U.S. several times a year. Other retreats include “The Three Great Loves” and “St. Paul the Shipwreck,” which launched during the pandemic.

Fr. Frank’s other documentary projects include Visions of Mary and Joseph: The Silent Saint for the History Channel; The Jesus Experience, an eight-hour documentary series examining the impact of Christ in different cultures; and an A&E Investigative Report entitled Healing & Prayer: Power or Placebo. He also delivered multiple documentary programs to the History Channel, including The Apostle Paul and Judas.

Radio Producer

From 1988 to 1991, Fr. Frank did radio production at Paulist Communications, where he served as producer of Paulist Communication News Magazine, a half-hour compendium of stories about religion and Religion In The News, a 15-minute interview program. It was during this time that he earned his Master’s Degree in Communications Management from the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California. 

Chairman of Human Family Educational and Cultural Institute

Between 2000 and 2010, Frank Desiderio served as Chairman of the Human Family Educational and Cultural Institute, which awards the HUMANITAS Prize to writers whose film and television work not only entertains but also enriches the viewing public. Throughout the year, the Institute offered Master Writers Workshops given by some of Hollywood’s most notable writers. During Fr. Desiderio’s tenure, these included David Milch (NYPD Blue, Deadwood), Dick Wolf (Law and Order), Steven Bochco (Hill Street Blues, Doogie Houser, M.D.), and David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Chicago Hope).

Education

Originally from Washington, D.C., Frank Desiderio graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in English literature in 1976. He also holds a Master’s in Theology from the Catholic University of America, as well as a Masters from USC. 

On the Personal Side

Fr. Frank practices Tai Chi and enjoys being an uncle to eight nieces and nephews, five great-nieces, and a great-nephew. He currently lives in Lenape homelands (NYC). 

He regularly donates to Catholic charities both locally and internationally and is a founding board member of PATH, People Assisting the Homeless, which is now one of the largest providers of services to the homeless in Los Angeles and other cities in California.