Joseph Nietlong was born on March 22nd, 1958 to the Yuom tribe in the village of Garkawa in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. He was originally named Penlong (which means “Remove Chief” in the di-yuom language). “Nietlong” is from his grandfather, and means “To let go the Chieftaincy.” At the age of one month he was baptized and given the name Joseph, the saint whose feast day is closest to his birth date. His family still lives in Garkawa, where his father is a farmer, and also the traditional head of the hunters of the tribe. His father holds the title of “Muo-Tau” in Garkawa (“Sarkin-Baka” in Hausa) whose literal meaning is “Chief of the Bow.”

Joseph was raised by his uncle, who held a government job which required frequent transfer from one village to another. Joseph’s primary education was received at no less than four different primary schools (at Garkawa, Piapung, Tungkus and Kwande) all founded by missionaries of the SMA (Sociètè des Mission Afriques) from Alsace Lorraine. After WWII the Alsacian missionaries were replaced by English speaking priests from the Irish province of the same congregation. He attended secondary school from 1973-77. He entered the novitiate of the Holy Ghost Fathers in 1977 at Awo-Omamma in Eastern Nigeria, followed by Philosophical Studies from 1978-80 at St. Augustine’s Major Seminary in Jos, Plateau State, Northern Nigeria.

In 1980 Joseph traveled across the African continent to Langata-Nairobi, Kenya to begin his Theological Studies at Thomas Aquinas Seminary, the national regional seminary for East Africa. While studying theology between 1980 and 1984 Joseph performed pastoral work in the Taru Desert, in Tsavo National Park near Mombasa with Father Jim Griffin, CSSp. For a brief period he was guestmaster of the Holy Ghost Fathers’ Rest House in Likoni Beach in Mombasa, relieving Father Mike Shanley CSSp. He returned to Nigeria in 1985 to be ordained Deacon for the Diocese of Makurdi by Bishop Donal Murray CSSp. As Deacon, he taught for a while in Mount St. Gabriel's Secondary School in Makurdi, and performed pastoral work in St. Peter's Parish, Keffi, Nassara State. Joseph was ordained priest on the 9th of August, 1986 by archbishop Gabriel Ganaka of Jos for the Diocese of Makurdi.

Following his ordination, Father Joseph returned to the seminary system as part of a team that was to found the new Major seminary in Makurdi as a Campus of St. Augustine's Major Seminary in Jos. While there, Joseph taught sacred scripture, liturgy and theology. He also served as Spiritual Director for the seminarians while helping to found the Chaplaincy of the new government University of Jos, Makurdi Campus. The Seminary Campus has since grown to a full fledged seminary and has been re-named St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary.

In 1989 Father Joseph was assigned by his Bishop to a pastoral ministry, and until 1996 he served as Parish Priest for St. John’s Parish at Agyaragu in Nassarawa State (formerly part of Plateau State.) During that time he served as Vice Chairman of the Presbyteral Council for the Diocese of Makurdi and also as Vicar of the Lafia Vicariate, while sitting on several committees for the diocese, including the Education Committee and the Justice and Peace Committee.

In 1995 he visited New York City, his first trip outside the African Continent, for the purpose of investigating whether he might pursue post graduate studies in philosophy in America. During this short summer excursion Fr. Joseph resided at the Irish Holy Ghost Fathers' residence in Long Island City and also at St. Sylvesters Parish in Medford, Suffolk Co. New York. He went back to Nigeria in late 1995, and returned to the U.S. in the summer of 1996. Following a brief ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Brendan’s on East 12th Street in Brooklyn, he was given a residency to serve as Chaplain for St. Vincent’s Medical Center on Staten Island. Also at this time he started graduate studies at Fordham University in the Bronx.

Combining a hospital chaplaincy with full time graduate work proved to be an impossibility. A temporary solution came through the kindness of Father Victor Bubendorf, who opened the door of St. Mary's on Bay street, Rosebank to Father Joseph. But the long commute from Staten Island to the Bronx, as well as the high cost of education at Fordham forced him to re-locate to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. The Holy Ghost Fathers have a profound tradition of hospitality and generosity to clergy and ministers of all religious persuasions. In every area of study, Duquesne University gives the clergy of any denomination a 50% break in tuition for at least one degree.

While in Pittsburgh, Fr. Joseph was offered the hospitality of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Donora, PA., while continuing graduate work in philosophy at Duquesne. He received his Master of Arts in Philosophy Degree in 1999. In 2000 he completed the coursework for his PhD., and passed his comprehensive exams. In October of 2000, seeking a quiet pastoral ministry which might give him time to complete his doctoral dissertation, Father Joe arrived at the Diocese of Tucson.

June Kellen, Chancellor of the Diocese, assured Father Joseph that St. Helen's Mission at Oracle would be just the place. One Mass on Sunday, one on Wednesday, and plenty of peace and free time to finish the dissertation. That was the idea, but of course it was not the reality.

The community of St. Helen’s has welcomed Father Joe’s energies. Extra chairs are always at the ready for packed-to-capacity weekend Masses (one on Saturday and two on Sunday) with a fourth Mass being considered as attendance continues to grow). The Meeting Hall lights are on nearly every evening. An organizational response to our growing needs has established itself with the new Council and Committees. Youth activities and special ministries have sprung up and building projects proceed one after another. Having worked so tirelessly to encourage Church community, and having succeeded so well, Father Joe's dissertation time (not to mention his sleeping time) has become increasingly scarce. Yet it would be unusual to knock on his door at any hour of the day and hear anything other than "Come in! Let me fix you some coffee!" His congregation wishes him well with his doctoral thesis and hopes that it takes him a very long time.