SAN MATEO – Father Joseph Bradley, a beloved member of the Junipero Serra High School community and author of a brutally honest memoir on overcoming substance abuse, died Tuesday, according to school officials. He was 69 years old.

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During his 30 years as a priest at the prestigious school, Bradley – also known as Father Joe – served as a teacher, campus ministry chaplain, football chaplain, and school president.

“As we remember Father Joe, we are grateful for the years of service, guidance and care he offered to the Serra High School community,” Serra President Mike Fadelli and Principal Charlie McGrath wrote in a letter. “His dedication to our students, faculty and staff has left a lasting impact, and his spirit will continue to inspire us.”

Bradley enjoyed being a member of the Serra Campus Ministry Team, leading spiritual retreats and being an advocate for social justice issues, according to the school officials.

“His kind, compassionate nature made him approachable, even during difficult situations,” Fadelli and McGrath wrote in the letter. “He will always be remembered for his natural ability to meet people where they were, always free from judgment.”

As Serra’s football chaplain, Bradley was known as the “one and only ‘Spiritual Warrior,’” and “he considered chapel to be a sacred space to enhance the spiritual side of each individual athlete,” the school officials said.

Coach Patrick Walsh recalled a quote in Bradley’s notebook: “There’s nothing more powerful than a humble person with a warrior spirit who is driven by a bigger purpose.”

“Father Joe didn’t just believe these words – he lived them,” Walsh said in an interview with this news organization. “His purpose in life was to help kids, and in his own special way, guide the boys of Serra High School to become spiritual men for others.”

Bradley’s “deeper purpose was Serra, and he deeply loved Serra football,” Walsh said.

“For him, our weekly football chapel was like game day,” Walsh said. “Those of us blessed to attend those chapel services witnessed an angel on earth – living through God’s grace, delivering powerful messages to teenage boys on their path to becoming adults.”

In 2012, Bradley published “The Four Gifts,” which chronicled his recovery from substance abuse, his relationship with God and fulfilling career as a priest, and a heart transplant that saved his life. As this news organization reported at the time, the book was intended to shine a light for those who are battling addiction and other maladies.

“My prayer is that it’s a real hopeful book,” Bradley said in an interview in 2012.

According to Fadelli and McGrath, Bradley “would often speak to Sierra Padres about his personal spiritual journey as a young man and his story has resonated with many of them.”

Services for Bradley are pending.

Check back for updates.