Fr. Phil Schmitter grew up in Mason Michigan until he entered the seminary. He received his Bachelor of Philosophy degree from the Athenaeum of Ohio in 1968 and Master of Divinity degree in 1980 at St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth Michigan. He completed an internship at Milan Federal Correctional Institution and one at the University Hospital in Ann Arbor. Fr. Schmitter came to Flint in 1970 and has served in six parishes and cofounded the St. Francis Prayer Center in 1974. From his arrival in Flint on Labor Day 1970, he has been involved in and supportive of labor issues of unions such as the Teamsters and UAW. While at St. Francis Prayer Center he wrote grants that brought money in from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Fr. Schmitter has been Pastor of Christ the King Catholic Church since 2009 and has served in six parishes as well as taught religion to High School Seniors at Holy Rosary High School. Fr. Phil, through Christ the King Church, has been an employer for Genesee County Teenquest and a member of Michigan Faith in Action. In the mid 1970’s, Fr. Phil picketed with Flint Interfaith Alliance, including Rabbis Judah Fish and Gerald Schuster, the Michigan Psychiatric Association who were honoring the Soviet Psychiatrist responsible for the torture of Russian Jews with psychotropic drugs who wished to emigrate from Russia. Later, the American and World Psychiatric Associations condemned the use of psychotropic drugs on religious or political dissidents. After moving into public housing in Flint from 1978-2008, he saw the devastation of toxic pollution on Flint’s North End. As a resident of public housing he collaborated with the Foot Patrol Officer, Urban 4-H, the People's Jazz and other organizations to offer life enhancing opportunities for residents of public housing. In 2018, he was appointed by Mayor Dr. Karen Weaver to the Board of Commissioners for the Flint Housing Commission. In addition to violence, unjust incarceration, and other ills, Fr. Phil made environmental injustice a priority. He has collaborated with many groups to fight the assault of pollution on the poor and people of color. The St. Francis Prayer Center’s two Civil Rights complaints spearheaded by Fr. Schmitter together with the late Sister Joanne Chiaverini have been the focus of much controversy. After over 23 years, the EPA declared that there was racism in MDEQ’s procedures. A federal lawsuit is still pending for the long delay (24 years) in acting on their complaints. Since that time, Fr. Schmitter has received awards for being a chief catalyst for environmental justice in Flint. Among his many awards, Fr. Schmitter has received the Seeker of Justice Award from the Diocese of Lansing, the Humanitarian Award from the Flint Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc., The Essential Piece Award by Motherly Intercession, Fr. Norman A. Dukette Award by Christ The King Church, and the Service Award from the Flint Housing Commission. In 2018, Father Phil received the NAACP Flint Branch, Cecelia B. Turner Humanitarian Award for his work in environmental justice on behalf of the poor and people of color of Flint. The City of Flint declared him a Champion of Environmental Justice. That same year, he was appointed by Bishop Earl Boyea to the Diocese of Lansing Task Force on Race and Catholic Schools.