sainttheresecenter

Who is Father Joseph, O.P.?

Joseph O'Brien was born on December 29th 1949 and baptized into the Faith on January 15,
1950. Son of a New York City Fireman and Grandson of a New York City Policeman, Joseph
did not follow in the City Services but answered the call to Priesthood while completing
studies at Arizona State University in Music Education. He received the religious habit of the
Dominican Order in September of 1971 and after years of formation was Ordained to the
Priesthood of Jesus Christ on March 17th 1978, by Oakland Bishop John Cummins.

Currently Father Joseph I. O'Brien, O.P., is the executive director of the Saint Therese Center
in Henderson/Las Vegas where he shares his commitment to serve people of all faiths and
extends the Lord's healing to all persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Known to all
as Father Joseph, he ministers by providing spiritual, physical and emotional support in the
spirit of Christian love and compassion with a caring heart and gentle hands.

Father Joseph's initial contact with the pandemic came about in 1983, when he was an
administrator of the largest Catholic High School west of the Mississippi. Several things were
beginning to come clear: the need for education of students, faculty and staff in how to deal
with this strange disease and those it was affecting, Father eventually earned a certificate
from Saint Joseph's Hospital, Orange County for completion of an AIDS 101 and
Compassion Workshop in 1984. Father has completed the National Certification Program
with the American Red Cross Association for the State of Nevada.

Father has worked in the HIV arena in Orange County and San Francisco in California;
Phoenix Arizona and currently Las Vegas Southern Nevada.

While in Phoenix in 1988 he made contact with The Malta Center and was invited to be a
Member of the Board of Directors. For two and a half years he served as an active Board
Member - working on review, development and fundraising committees for the Center. In July
of 1993 he resigned from the Board to assume the position of coordinating the Volunteers as
a staff member. In 1995 he was appointed the Executive Director.

On February 15th, 1997, AIDS Project Arizona recognized Father Joseph with an award
named for Larry Smith, a prominent Phoenix attorney and community leader who died of
HIV/AIDS. The award is presented to an individual who has made a contribution of
exceptional significance to public awareness of and concerns about HIV/AIDS and its impact
on the community.

On November 6th 1998 The Malta Center celebrating ten years of service to those infected
and affected with HIV/AIDS, presented their 1998 Humanitarian Award to Father Joseph for
his outstanding work in the HIV arena in the greater Phoenix Area.

In September of 2002 Father Joseph was selected by the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce
for his work in Southern Nevada, as a Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Finalist in the
Community Service Non profit category.

In 2003 Father has been nominated again in the Community Service Non Profit category as
well as for Humanitarian of the year.

In 2005 the Saint Therese Center, was named "Best Non Profit" by QVegas Magazine. Father
Joseph I. O'Brien, O.P., was named Best Non Profit Leader, for a Golden Q which is selected
by the staff of QVegas magazine.

The Saint Therese Center in its seventh year is located in Henderson on the campus of Saint
Rose Dominican Hospital (de Lima Campus). Additional outreach is held the second Tuesday
of each month at Saint John the Baptist Mission in Laughlin Nevada and the third Thursday
of each month at Our Lady of the Valley in Pahrump, Nevada. Through living well,
emotionally, physically and spiritually clients are encouraged to experience the little flowers
in their lives (a take off on the fact that Saint Therese is known as The Little Flower) as the
Center ministers to all people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.