Father Francis Pizzarelli was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is a product of the public and Catholic schools in the Massapequa School District. A Montfort Missionary Roman Catholic priest, Father Pizzarelli is educated at Montfort College, St. John's University, the Catholic University of America, and Fordham University, holding a degree in Sociology, graduate work in Theology and Religious Education, a Master's degree in clinical social work, and post-graduate training as a Drug and Alcohol counselor. He is a licensed clinical social worker, a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers (ACSW), and a member of the National Registry of Clinical Social Workers. He received his Diplomate in Clinical Social Work in 1998. In 1990, Father Pizzarelli received an honorary doctorate from St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vermont, for his work with troubled young people.

In 1979, Father Pizzarelli came to Suffolk County to work as a parish priest in Port Jefferson after serving for five years as a school administrator in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Shortly after becoming involved in his community, he discovered serious concerns relative to the drug and alcohol problem among the teenage population. These circumstances and other social issues moved him, along with two other people, to establish Hope House, a community residence for troubled young people. A year later, Father Pizzarelli founded Hope House Ministries, which has evolved into a multi-faceted network of human services touching people of all ages and backgrounds.

For the past thirty-eight years, Father Pizzarelli has directed Hope House Ministries and its growth and development. Since 1982, he has become aggressively involved with drug and alcohol education on Long Island and throughout the Eastern United States. Using his skills and talents, Father Pizzarelli has spoken in over 2,500 high schools and colleges over the past twenty-nine years on the theme of human wellness, including drug, alcohol, and suicide awareness.

In addition to serving as full-time Executive Director and CEO of Hope House Ministries, Father Pizzarelli teaches part-time at St. Joseph's College, is a Professor of Sociology at Suffolk County Community College, and has been an Adjunct Professor of Social Work at Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Service.

Father Pizzarelli is the founder of CADD (Community Against Driving Drunk) and serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Way Back, Inc., a transitional community for the mentally ill. For the past twenty-eight years, he has written a weekly column in a number of local newspapers in Suffolk County. He also hosts an award-winning weekly television program on Telicare called "Reason for Hope" that addresses the problems of young people and families.

Recognition and Awards

Father Pizzarelli has been recognized throughout the State by various civic and school groups for his work among young people:

• September 1991 - President George H.W. Bush recognized Father Pizzarelli's work in the community and named his work the 555th Point of Light in his 1,000 Point of Light Campaign for Volunteerism

• April 1993 - Acknowledged for his work on behalf of children by the Suffolk County Bar Association

• May 1993 - Received the Valerie G. Schonfeld Award from the Mental Health Association in Suffolk County, "for his tireless effort and generous spirit in serving the youth of Suffolk County".

• March 1996 - Appointed to President Bill Clinton's White House Conference on Youth, Drugs, and Violence

• June 2002 - Under his leadership, Hope House Ministries was named Agency of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers, Suffolk County Division

• October 2008 - The Nassau Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless awarded him the Key of Excellence Award for more than thirty years of serving Long Island's homeless with dignity and compassion

• May 2011 - St. Charles Hospital, Port Jefferson, NY, honored Father Pizzarelli as "Man of the Year" for his counsel, guidance, tireless service to the poor, and faithfulness to God's Word.

• January 2012 - The Times Beacon Record Newspapers named him "Man of the Year in Religion"

• January 2016 - Featured on the cover of The Long Island Catholic for his important work with those recovering from addictions, especially those in the grip of heroin