By Gia Myers • Posted January 16, 2026

When Joshua Bean stepped into his role as Missionary Hub director in Chester last October, he felt an immediate sense of homecoming.

That historic Delaware County city, which hosts St. Katharine Drexel Parish, is the place where Bean was “born and raised.”

“These are my neighbors,” he said. “I’m blessed to be on this mission here.”

Yet Bean’s path to Catholic missionary leadership is anything but ordinary. Raised in a “devout Protestant home” as one of five siblings, he is the son of a Protestant minister and spent much of his early life deeply immersed in Christian faith.

Bean was confirmed and fully entered the Catholic Church in January 2025, but he says his “love story” with the Church began nearly two decades earlier.

As a freshman at Philadelphia Biblical University (now Cairn University), he began studying the early Church as part of his biblical studies coursework. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 2008, majoring in both biblical studies and business, and later earning a Master of Divinity degree in 2011.

It was during those undergraduate years that the seeds of Catholic devotion were first planted. A pivotal moment came when a close friend in the military was deployed to Iraq. The friend asked Bean to pray the rosary daily for his safety. Bean learned the prayers, picked up the beads, and began a practice that would change his life.

While praying for his friend, he found himself drawn to Marian devotion. “That opened a door,” he recalls, a door “that never closed for 20 years.”

He describes the rosary as “the heart” of his journey into Catholicism. “I really couldn’t live without the Blessed Mother and the saints,” he said. “Devotion to her is a great path to sainthood.”

Professionally, Bean has served in a variety of Protestant ministries including five years as associate pastor at a Protestant church in Linwood, and he also worked as a project coordinator at financial services giant Vanguard for five years.

He and his wife, Erinn, who was raised Lutheran, met in college and married in 2010. She entered the Catholic Church last Easter. Together, they have two sons, ages 4 and 9.

Bean calls family “a big joy” of his life. Their older son sings with the Philadelphia Boys Choir, following a family tradition shared by Bean and his brothers.

The family’s home parish today is St. John Fisher in Boothwyn, though they often split their attendance between there and St. Katharine Drexel.

Bean’s entry into the Catholic Church coincided strikingly with Archbishop Nelson Pérez’s Trust and Hope initiative, which called for a renewed missionary presence across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Central to this initiative is the establishment of Missionary Hubs, localized centers focused on outreach, accompaniment, pastoral support, and evangelization.

For Bean, the timing felt providential. “It was amazing how God orchestrated this,” he said.  The initiative seemed tailor-made for his background and his long-held desire “for people to meet Jesus.”

Now serving in Chester, a place he describes as a city with “a textured history,” Bean leads a team of missionaries working out of the Catholic Charities building on East 7th Street. Nearby, the Missionaries of Charity, ACCESS community center, Vagabond Missions, Drexel Neumann Academy, and St. Katharine Drexel Parish also serve the community, forming a unique cluster of ministries committed to the city’s spiritual and social well-being.

Chester once supported seven Catholic parishes, reflecting the large immigrant population of the early 20th century. But population decline and parish mergers have left St. Katharine Drexel as the city’s sole Catholic parish.

Today the city is largely Protestant, yet many residents still feel ties to Chester’s Catholic schools, including Immaculate Heart of Mary and St. James High School, both now closed.

Bean sees his mission as one of rebuilding trust and reintroducing the Catholic Church’s presence. His team looks to engage in on-the-street ministry, collaborate with charitable organizations, and participate in community events.

He has particular hope for strengthening Chester’s Hispanic community by connecting with cultural traditions, music, and outreach programs.

Bean draws inspiration from Pope St. John Paul II, especially his teachings on the theology of the body, and from the Holy Family, particularly St. Joseph’s leadership and integrity.

Each day, as he drives down 9th Street toward his hub office, Bean prays for the people of Chester.

“A big part of my heart is in this city,” he said. Now, as a Catholic missionary working in his hometown, he hopes to help spark renewed faith and transformation, one relationship at a time.