God’s “Plan A” for Human Flourishing

Father William Gurnee opened our 2026 Leadership Conference with a prayer and devotional about the sanctity of family.

Father William H. Gurnee currently serves as both the Pastor of St. Joseph’s and Adjunct Spiritual Director for the Archdiocese of Washington Priest Vocations.  Since ordination, he served at a number of parishes as parochial vicar, was Priest Secretary to Cardinal McCarrick, and was college chaplain at George Washington University and American University.  He was pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church in Avenue, MD and later Spiritual Director of John Paul II Seminary.

Fr. Gurnee was born in Westchester County, NY  and is one of four children born. In 1973, his family moved to Greensboro, NC where he graduated from HS and from college at North Carolina State in 1986 with a degree in economics. Two years after working in sales, he moved to Washington to pursue a career in politics. He worked for the Hon. Robert F. Smith (OR-2) for 5 years and when the Congressman retired, he entered Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary.   He was ordained June 10, 2000 and celebrated his first Mass the next day at his parish of St. Joseph’s on Capitol Hill.