Msgr. Joseph G. Celano was born in Newark, NJ and grew up locally in Somerset, NJ. He attended St. Matthias Grammar School, St. Pius X High School, and the University of Scranton, and was awarded a B.S. in Applied Psychology and Human Resources in 1983. Msgr. completed his priestly formation at Mount St. Mary`s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD. and was awarded both an M.Div. and M.A in Biblical Studies. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Metuchen on May 30, 1987.
 
Since his ordination, Msgr. Celano has served as parochial vicar for several parishes in the Diocese of Metuchen and in 1993 was appointed Chaplain to the Catholic Center at Rutgers University, where he served until 1999. He was appointed pastor of St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church in Bridgewater, NJ in 1999 and served in that position until 2017. Bishop Checchio appointed Msgr. Celano to the dual positions of Episcopal Vicar for Administration and Secretary to the College of Consultors in 2017 and has been working in full time diocesan ministry this past year. He continues to serve in both these roles.
 
In addition to these assignments, he has also served in several other diocesan positions over his 31 years as a priest, including Director of the Department of Pastoral Life, Director of the Office of Vocations, program host of Proclaim The Good News, the award winning former radio talk show of the Diocese of Metuchen, and Episcopal Vicar for Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties.  
 

• In 2005, Msgr. Celano was inducted into the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher and elevated to Knight Commander in 2010.
• On September 8, 2011, Msgr. Celano was named a Chaplain to His Holiness and given the title Monsignor.
• In October 2015, Msgr. Celano was selected by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization to serve as a Missionary of Mercy for the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. In February of 2016, he was commissioned by Pope Francis during the Ash Wednesday Liturgy in Rome to be a preacher of God’s mercy and was granted faculties to absolve from certain serious sins normally reserved to the Holy See. This commission was renewed indefinitely by Pope Francis in April of 2018.
• Msgr. Celano recently completed a M.S. degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. in Ecclesial Administration and Management.