PAWTUCKET — It was long before he entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary in 2007 that Father Joshua Barrow began to see little indicators that a life in the priesthood is the path that he wanted to follow.
As a 12-year-old altar server at St. Timothy Parish, Warwick, young Barrow, who was educated in Warwick public schools, seemed confident and very much at ease serving at the Lord’s table.
“Watching him during the rehearsals, he was so comfortable near the altar,” said his mother, Mary Barrow, in a 2015 Rhode Island Catholic article that offered a profile of her son in advance of his ordination to the priesthood that year.
After graduating from Pilgrim High School, Warwick, Father Barrow entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary and graduated from Providence College with a B.A. in philosophy. After formation at Pontifical North American College in Rome, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin ordained him a priest for the Diocese of Providence in June 2015.
After completing a licentiate in Sacred Theology, specializing in dogmatic theology, Father Barrow then served as the assistant pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish on July 1, 2016, until July 2021, when he was assigned to St. Teresa of the Child Jesus Parish in Pawtucket as pastor.
A decade out from his ordination, Father Barrow reflected on his first 10 years as a priest about what he’s taken away from his experiences at this point in his ministry.
“God has been so good to me, that it is the long and the short of it,” Father Barrow said. “His goodness has shown through the life of a parish priest.”
He points to a famous line once spoken by noted 19th century French Catholic priest, journalist and theologian Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, who reestablished the Dominican Order in post-Revolutionary France, as a mantra that has long spoken to him of the priest’s role among his flock.
“There is one thing in seminary that really got me through, ‘A priest is part of every family, but he belongs to none,’ and I have found that to be very true,’” he told a gathering in August at St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, to celebrate his first milestone anniversary of priesthood.
“You have welcomed me into your families and I have experienced great joy, great sadness, great struggles and triumphs—all of it, it’s the life of a priest. I am so grateful for God,” he told a gathering of more than 100 of his parishioners, family and friends in the church hall.
“It’s been 10 years and God’s been so good to me. And I hope to continue to serve him faithfully as a priest in the Diocese of Providence, and to also hopefully inspire anyone out there who is wondering, ‘Is this something I want to give my life for?’”
Tom Marland, one of Father Barrow’s parishioners, had glowing words for his pastor of the past three years.
“Father Barrow is a real good steward, he’s very attentive and very pastoral. He brings people together. He frees them to open up their hearts and to feel that they have a place to belong in a community,” Marland said.
Helen Rabbit, who along with her late husband, has always been a very active parishioner at St. Teresa and said she appreciates the ministry of her pastor very much.
“Father Barrow is very personable and he’s very holy, and that’s what I love. I love my church and I always want to learn more about my faith and he teaches that,” Rabbit said.
Sister Angelina Giramma, M.P.F., parish outreach coordinator of St. Mark Church, Cranston, attended the Holy Hour before Father Barrow’s ordination and is also familiar with him from his earlier ministry as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish, East Greenwich.
“I had many of my RCIA people go to him,” she said. “He’s done well, we’re very happy for him.”
Father Barrow said he was stunned at the surprise party planned for him by his mother and a large contingent of parishioners eager to show their support for their pastor’s ministry.
Among those in attendance were Bishop Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R.; Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia Msgr. Albert A. Kenney; Rector of Lady of Providence Seminary Father Ryan W. Connors, S.T.D.; Vice Chancellor Father Nathan Ricci, J.C.L.; Father Stephen Battey, pastor of Saint John Paul II Parish, Pawtucket; and Father Nicholas Fleming, pastor of SS. John and James and St. Mary Parish, West Warwick.
“I was shocked. I’m extremely grateful that they would come out and celebrate 10 years of my priesthood. God is just so good and I’m giving thanks for my priesthood.”
Father Barrow, who is studying for a licentiate in canon law, said a focus of his first 10 years has been trying to find out how Our Lord is working in each person’s life in a unique way.
He said that what drew him to the priesthood 10 years ago has been proven true 10 years later:
“A priest comes to bring Jesus Christ to his people and to bring the people to Jesus Christ,” Father Barrow said.
Along with Father Barrow, two other candidates were also ordained that day: Father Ryan Simas, now diocesan Vocations Director, as well as chaplain at URI and The Prout School, and Father Nicholas Fleming.
“I am blessed in my priesthood to serve the great people in our diocese,” said Father Fleming.
“I have learned so much in these 10 years,” he told Rhode Island Catholic. “Great pastors have given me the tools to love with compassion, to speak the truth boldly and clearly, and to make sure Jesus remains at the center of all that we do. The parishioners that have welcomed me into their homes and lives have shown me how much they love and cherish their faith, especially the way they sacrifice and serve their community.”
Father Fleming said that one lesson he wished he had learned sooner was how much of his priestly service would be in facility management and administration.
“I’m blessed with a great team, but we need the entrepreneurial spirit to spread the gospel and learn creative ways to reach out,” he said.
“It’s a new era, and it’s a learning curve to meet the moment. But, with God’s grace, a great parish, wonderful staff, and the Lord at the center, I look forward to seeing what the next 10 years bring.”
