Father Joseph Girzone, a best-selling American writer, is the author of the popular and inspirational Joshua series. Girzone was born in Albany, New York to parents Peter and Margaret Girzone. He entered the Carmelite Order in 1948[citation needed] and was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1955.After serving as pastor for various New York churches, he retired from the active priesthood in 1981 for health reasons. Following his retirement, he embarked on a second career as a full-time writer and speaker.Joseph Girzone now lives in Altamont, New York.