About
Father Joe Ciccone is a priest of the Order of Franciscan Servants and the founding pastor of Saint Joseph Mission Church in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, a mobile ministry for people who are homebound, marginalized or shut out of traditional congregations, including people inside and adjacent to the criminal justice system. He also serves as a chaplain for the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police.
Before his ordination he spent two decades in law enforcement, rising to Sheriff of Bergen County. He holds a doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University and a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, and he joined the 2024 White Collar Conference panel on healing through a supportive community.
At the White Collar Conference
Father Joe Ciccone traced his path from following his father into police work to elected office, and the case that ended that career. He described how his family, especially his mother and his partner of 29 years, stayed when other friends left, and said that family can also be the people you learn to trust. He spoke about becoming an advocate for criminal justice reform and finding his way to Union Theological Seminary, where he met Jeff Grant.
“Family doesn't have to be the family that you're born into. It is the family that you learn to trust, that you learn to love, that you learn to care about.”
Watch at 12:13
“The system is broken and it needs to be changed.”
Watch at 32:21
“Strength, resilience, and above all, even in the midst of this, be proud of who you are.”
Watch at 34:35
Chapters
- 0:00 William Sansing introduces the panel
- 1:13 Father Joe on becoming a police officer and Bergen County sheriff
- 11:25 Father Joe on the family that stood by him
- 13:14 Dr. Naia Wilson on the support around her after a wire fraud charge
- 18:28 Naia Wilson on her work in housing advocacy
- 20:50 Portia Louder on federal prison and coming home
- 23:34 Portia Louder on loneliness after release and finding support
- 27:38 William Sansing on his first night in prison
- 29:08 Letting community in
- 33:12 Closing thoughts on a judgment-free community
With Portia Louder, William Sansing (moderator) and Naia Wilson
Join us in fall 2027.
The fourth annual White Collar Conference is planned for fall 2027, virtual on Zoom and open to all.