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Joe Freedy
Former Bulls quarterback models life of service as Catholic priest
Story by Elaine Vitone, with photo by Mark Bolster
Freedy close-up
UB degree BA ’02, communication; Favorite sport basketball.“I just was never any good at it,” he says humbly, “so I had to play football”; His nieces’ nickname for him Frunkle Joe
As the starting quarterback through the Bulls’ first four years in Division 1A, Joe Freedy had it all: accolades from the press, one of the most recognizable faces on campus, and the kind of close friendships you build through working and playing hard together—and, certainly, partying together.
But despite his popularity, Freedy felt a “wound” in his heart.
“Nothing satisfied,” he says. “And then, through prayer, I was able to hear God very slowly and gently inviting me to follow Him in a particular way.”
By fall 2001, the start of his fifth and final year at UB, Freedy had made a decision: He would pursue his vocation to serve as a Roman Catholic priest.
In 2004, Freedy completed a master’s in philosophy for theological studies at Duquesne University and St. Paul Seminary in his hometown of Pittsburgh. From there, Freedy’s bishop sent him to complete the next phase of his priestly formation program—three years of theology—at Pontifical North American College in the Vatican, the site where many U.S. bishops have trained. On June 21, 2008, Freedy’s studies culminated in his ordination at Pittsburgh’s St. Paul Cathedral.
“It’s a gift that I’m very much unworthy of and so grateful for,” says Freedy, who has returned to Rome for more studies, then will join St. Bernadette’s parish near Pittsburgh. However unlikely Freedy’s story might seem, his friends say that, in hindsight, the priesthood fits him perfectly. They talk of his toughness on the field, devotion to his community, strength under pressure and genuine altruism. They recall a born leader who never lost his humility.
Bill Barba, PhD ’80, a clinical professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy in UB’s Graduate School of Education, was one of more than 20 of Freedy’s friends from UB who attended the ordination. “Joe’s conversion has had a powerful impact on a lot of us,” Barba says.
Now, Freedy leads in much more powerful—and often more subtle—ways than he did in his years as #15. A few years ago, Barba visited Freedy in Rome, and several times, they passed through an underground parking lot that’s known as a safe haven for beggars.
“Joe knew them all by name,” Barba recalls. “It’s all in quiet moments like that. It’s what you do when the spectators and cameras aren’t there.”
UB in the News
New York Times
SUNY weighs the value of Division I sports
An article in the New York Times looks at the advantages and disadvantages SUNY schools have encountered as they upgrade their athletic programs to compete with other major public institutions at the Division I level. UB is mentioned as having led the way to Division I in 1991 and the football team played a bowl game for the first time in January, but the path has not been as smooth for other SUNY campuses. The article quotes former UB president William H. Greiner and UB athletic director Warde Manuel.
New York Times
UB photographer says a rephotograph lifts the illusion that time stops
UB's Doug Levere, photographer in University Communications, is quoted in a New York Times article about the changing urban landscape of New York City.
USA Today
Government downsizing may result in a dangerous concentration of power, expert says
An article in USA Today about efforts in Western New York to downsize local governments and the wave of national frustration over big government that was illustrated this year by raucous town-hall style meeting over health care reports a study by UB's Regional Institute concluded that if every municipality in Erie County cut two legislators, the savings would be "negligible," less than $4 per person a year in most cases. The article quotes Kathryn Foster, director of the Regional Institute.