Fr. Paul Linging, OFM Conv., serves as director of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) for the Our Lady of Angels Province of the Franciscan Friars. Prior to this, he was pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, Burlington, NC, for eight years. Located in central North Carolina, Blessed Sacrament is a multicultural, multilingual parish which provides a variety of outreach services to anyone regardless of race, creed, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, consistent with the commitment of the Franciscan Friars to create a places of welcome and community in response to the Gospel of Christ Jesus.
Beginning in 2005, Fr. Paul served for six years as the Executive Director of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM). In this capacity and on behalf of the Conference, he represented all the Pontifical Religious Institutes of Men in the United States – Jesuits, Franciscans, Benedictines, Dominicans, etc. – in their dealings with the Vatican, the USCCB and other Bishops & Religious’ Conferences throughout the world. He regularly attended meetings at the Vatican with various pontifical dicastery officials.
A clinical psychologist, Fr. Paul served previously on the faculties of several universities and colleges, including Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Department of Medical Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, where he taught medical interns concerning various alcoholism, drug addiction as well as sexual abuse disorders. At the time, he was also the clinical director of several Johns Hopkins’ psychiatric clinics and treatment centers in Baltimore, MD, i.e., a program for 350 heroin addicts, another for 150 cocaine addicts, a pregnancy program for women addicts, and another for 100 adolescents – all with chemical substance disorders prior to the age of 11 yrs. old. His work also involved several research projects conducted by Johns Hopkins University under the auspices of the School of Medicine.
Fr. Paul Lininger, OFM Conv., holds a Doctorate and Master’s Degrees in Psychology and Counseling from Loyola University as well as a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees – St. Anthony-on-Hudson in conjunction with New York State University.