By Gia Myers • Posted February 11, 2026

Lauren Joyce is excited to take on a mission that is both deeply personal and boldly ambitious. Since September, she has been serving as the Missionary Hub director at St. Ann Parish in Phoenixville, Chester County.

Her mission stems from the overarching vision of Archbishop Nelson Pérez to reach the 83% of area Catholics no longer attending Mass and to bring a renewed sense of hope, community, and encounter with Jesus Christ.

The Phoenixville Hub is one of the first five launched across the Catholic Church of Philadelphia, and Joyce sees the town as an extraordinary place for this kind of evangelizing work.

She describes Phoenixville, one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Pennsylvania, as “a stained-glass window” filled with a vibrant blend of cultures, generations, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Historically a steel town, in recent years it has transformed into a center for the arts, dining, and community festivals like Blobfest and the Firebird Festival. Phoenixville is, in her words, “a melting pot” of people searching for meaning and connection.

Those qualities inspire Joyce as she begins the task of strengthening faith life across the community that includes St. Ann’s Chapel and Church, St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, and Holy Family Regional Catholic School.

“Our first job is to be here and be receptive,” she said.

Over the past five months Joyce has been meeting one-on-one with parishioners, volunteers, and ministry leaders to observe the work the Holy Spirit is already accomplishing.

She jokingly calls herself “an undercover spy looking for good things,” and she has already uncovered many, including the story of a woman who founded a food pantry a decade ago at St. Ann Church to serve the growing needs of local families.

Joyce brings a rich background in communications, evangelization, and ministry to her new role.  She attended SS. Simon and Jude School in West Chester and graduated from Villa Maria Academy in Malvern.

A graduate of the Catholic University of America and Villanova University, Joyce has spent her career weaving together theology, education, public relations, and ministry formation.

She previously served as the Director of Religious Education at Mother of Divine Providence Parish in King of Prussia and taught middle school theology at Regina Angelorum Academy in Ardmore.

She also served as an adjunct professor at Villanova, helping students explore the integration of faith, culture, and service.

In her most recent role, Joyce spent five years with Catholic content producer Ascension in Exton, where she coordinated press relations and worked closely with Father Mike Schmitz, host of the national hit podcast, “The Bible in a Year.” This experience sparked something new in her.

As PR manager she booked hundreds of interviews, secured media exposure across national outlets, and contributed to major rollout events and campaigns. That fast-paced, creative environment revealed to her the essence of her spiritual gifts.

“My gift is not routine; it’s in starting up,” she said. “I learned how much I enjoyed building things, and I realized that the chance to be a Missionary Hub director could be the next thing I could build.”

Her journey has also been shaped by the mentors who formed her own faith as a young person.  Growing up, Joyce experienced strong youth ministry, including participating in conference at Franciscan University in Steubenville and retreats at the Marianist Retreat Center in Cape May, N.J.

She credits her parents and several Catholic leaders – especially Father Stephen DeLacy, now Vicar for Faith Formation with Youth and Young Adults in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia – as “great mentors” whose guidance helped her discern her path.

Father DeLacy is now also chaplain to Philly Catholic Singles, a 365-member group Joyce founded in 2024. That community’s success was another sign to her that God was calling her back into full-time ministry.

“There’s so much joy and fruit in it,” she said of ministry. “I love being in community. I love being with the people of God.”

As director of a Missionary  Hub she hopes to channel that same joy into evangelization and outreach. She looks forward to helping local parishes strengthen relationships, deepen prayer, and reignite the sense of belonging that many Catholics may have lost in recent decades.

Joyce hopes the Phoenixville Missionary Hub will become a source of consolation, hope, strength, and renewal that shifts the conversation from parish closures and past wounds to the heart of the Gospel message: an encounter with the love of Jesus Christ.

“It’s a beautiful time in the life of the Church,” Joyce said. “We’re getting back to basics. Learn to have a prayer life. Learn to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. The purpose of the hub is to help build that flame.”