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Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

Coordinates: 40°41′49″N 73°59′11″W / 40.69694°N 73.98639°W / 40.69694; -73.98639
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Diocese of Brooklyn

Diœcesis Bruklyniensis
Cathedral Basilica of St. James
Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph
Coat of arms
Location
Country United States
TerritoryBrooklyn and Queens
Ecclesiastical provinceArchdiocese of New York
Headquarters
  • 310 Prospect Park West
  • Brooklyn, New York, 11215
Statistics
Area179 sq mi (460 km2)
Population
- Total
- Catholics		(as of July 2017)
5,007,353
1,506,000 (30.1%)
Parishes185
Churches211
Schools99
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
EstablishedJuly 29, 1853; 171 years ago (1853-07-29)
CathedralCathedral Basilica of St. James
Co-cathedralCo-Cathedral of St. Joseph
Secular priests472
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
BishopRobert J. Brennan
Metropolitan Archbishop
Auxiliary Bishops
Bishops emeritus
Map
Website
dioceseofbrooklyn.org Edit this at Wikidata

The Diocese of Brooklyn (Latin: Diœcesis Bruklyniensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the State of New York. It is headquartered in Brooklyn and its territory encompasses the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens.

The Diocese of Brooklyn is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of New York. The diocesan cathedral is the Cathedral Basilica of St. James in Downtown Brooklyn and its co-cathedral is the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph in Prospect Heights. Brooklyn is one of the few dioceses in the United States that is made up of 100% urban territory.[1]

As of March 2025, the bishop of Brooklyn is Robert J. Brennan. He presides from both the Cathedral Basilica of St. James and the Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph.

History

[edit]

1784 to 1800

[edit]

In 1784, Pope Pius VI erected the Apostolic Prefecture of United States of America, creating a separate jurisdiction for the new United States from the Catholic Church of Great Britain.[2] That same year, the new State of New York repealed the Colonial-era law prohibiting Catholic priests from residing in New York.[3]

With the anti-priest law repealed, the French consul in New York City, Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, organized a group of laymen in 1785 to open St. Peter's Parish in Manhattan, the first Catholic parish in New York City. In 1800, the congregation opened a school at St. Peter's, the first Catholic school in New York.[4]

In 1789, Pius VI raised the Apostolic Prefecture of United States to the Diocese of Baltimore, headed by the first American bishop, John Carroll. For the next nine years, Carroll was in charge of the Catholic Church in New York State along with the rest of the nation.[5][2]

1800 to 1853

[edit]

Catholic immigration to Brooklyn started with the opening of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1801. It attracted many Catholic immigrants from Northern Ireland to work there. Since there was no Catholic parish in Brooklyn, they would cross the East River to Manhattan on Sundays to attend mass at St. Peter's Church. Bishop John Power, the vicar apostolic of New York, would celebrate mass in Brooklyn in private homes.[6]

In 1808, Pope Pius VII erected the Diocese of New York, with jurisdiction over the entire State of New York. By 1814, the diocese had four priests and two churches in New York City, both in Manhattan.[7] The Catholic population of the diocese was approximately 15,000, primarily Irish with some English, French and Germans.[8]

The first Catholic parish in the City of Brooklyn was St. James, founded in 1822.[9] By 1826, the Diocese of New York had grown to 18 priests, 12 churches and a Catholic population of 150,000.[10] The Sisters of Charity arrived in Brooklyn in 1834, becoming the first women's religious institute in that city.[11]

1853 to 1900

[edit]
Bishop Loughlin (1914)
Former St. Monica Church, Queens, New York, founded in 1856 (2018)

Pope Pius IX erected the Diocese of Brooklyn in 1853 out of the Archdiocese of New York. The new diocese included the City of Brooklyn, Queens County and the two counties in Long Island. The pope named Reverend John Loughlin of New York as its first bishop. Loughlin chose St. James Church as his cathedral.[12] The first Catholic church in Queens, St. Monica's, was dedicated in 1856. During his episcopate, Loughlin founded 120 parishes. He started construction of the new, larger Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 1868, but then stopped work on it to fund charities.[11]

St. Francis Academy for boys was founded in 1858 in Brooklyn by a group of Franciscans from Ireland. It is today St. Francis College.[13]

During Loughlin's 38-year tenure, the Catholic population of the diocese increased from about 15,000 to nearly 400,000. During this time, 125 churches and chapels, 93 parochial schools, two colleges, 10 orphanages, five hospitals, two homes for the elderly and a residence for homeless boys were built.[14] He erected the Chapel of the Resurrection at Holy Cross Cemetery in 1855.[15] Loughlin started construction of a new cathedral in 1868, but stopped the project so as to spend the funds on diocesan charities.[11]

The Sisters of Charity opened St. Mary's Female Hospital in Brooklyn in 1868.[16] That same year, the massive St. John’s Home for Boys opened in Brooklyn.[17] The Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd opened the House of the Good Shepard, a reformatory and industrial school for "fallen women".[18]

In 1870, Loughlin invited the Vincentian Order to establish a college for the increasing immigrant population. They opened St. John's College in Brooklyn, which is today St. John's University.[19]

After Loughlin died in 1891, Pope Leo XIII appointed Monsignor Charles McDonnell of New York as the second bishop of Brooklyn. The diocese at that time included 250,000 Catholics. As more immigrants from different nationalities entered Brooklyn, McDonnell founded several national parishes that ministered to this immigrants in their native languages.[20] He also built three hospitals.

1900 to 1960

[edit]
St. John's University, Queens, New York (2020)
St. Joseph University, Brooklyn, New York (2013)

The St. Dominic Congregation of the Holy Cross opened the Mary Immaculate Hospital in the Jamaica section of Queens in 1902.[21] McConnell in 1903 dedicated the Pro-Cathedral of St. James. It replaced the original St. James Cathedral, which had been severely damaged by fire.[22]

In 1916, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph opened St. Joseph College for Women in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn. It is today St. Joseph's University.[23]

Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Molloy of Brooklyn was named the third bishop of that diocese by Pope Benedict IV in 1921.[24] During his 35-year tenure, the number of Catholics in the diocese exceeded one million, making it the most populous one in the country.[25] During the Great Depression, Molloy established a labor school to teach working men the Catholic principles that apply to trade unionism.[26] He also ordered the diocesan clergy to take courses in industrial issues to better instruct their parishioners.[26] Molloy died in 1956.

Pope Pius XII split the Diocese of Rockville Centre from Brooklyn on April 6, 1957. Ten days later, the pope named Bishop Bryan McEntegart, rector of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., as the next bishop of Brooklyn. During his tenure he launched a multimillion-dollar building program, which included six high schools, a hospital and a four-year theological seminary.[27]

1960 to 1990

[edit]
Immaculate Conception Center, Brooklyn, New York (2012)

In 1967, McEntegart restructured Cathedral College due to shrinking enrollment and fewer students becoming priests. The Brooklyn and Queens campuses became four-year seminary high schools. The college programs were transferred into an independent four-year college seminary in Douglaston in Queens.[28] The college was established to serve seminarians from the Diocese of Brooklyn, the Diocese of Rockville Centre and the Archdiocese of New York. The college's inaugural class had 38 students, 22 of whom eventually became priests.[29] By the early 1970s, the college had over 370 students and offered over a dozen college majors.[30]

McEntegart promoted outreach to the growing Hispanic population, sending priests and religious sisters to study Spanish language and culture.[31] McEntegart retired in 1968.

Pope Paul VI named Reverend Francis Mugavero of Brooklyn as the first Italian-American bishop of Brooklyn in 1968.[32] In 1971, Mugavero established the Catholic Migration Office to serve immigrants and refugees. He created the first apostolates in 1972 for the Italian, Haitian, Polish, Korean, Croatian, and Spanish communities.[33] Mugavero often called Brooklyn "the diocese of immigrants," and was proud that mass was celebrated there in 14 languages.[34]

Mugavero announced the Nehemiah project, in association with East Brooklyn Churches, at a press conference in June 1982. The plan was to build houses in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn for lower income families. By 1985, the Nehemiah project had produced 300 new row houses.[35]

In 1970, a woman from Bayside in Queens, Veronica Lueken, had stated that she was seeing apparitions of the Virgin Mary, Jesus, and numerous Catholic saints. Over the years, these apparitions became known as the "visions of Bayside". In 1986, Mugavero issued a declaration on Lueken's visions;

"I, the undersigned Diocesan Bishop of Brooklyn, in my role as the legitimate shepherd of this particular Church, wish to confirm the constant position of the Diocese of Brooklyn that a thorough investigation revealed that the alleged "visions of Bayside" completely lacked authenticity".[36]

Mugavero in 1972 renamed the Pro-Cathedral of St. James as the Cathedral of St. James. [9]In 1987, Mugavero established the Immaculate Conception Center at the site of the former Cathedral College to house diocesan offices, ministries and a retreat center.[37] The Vatican in 1982 designated the Cathedral of St. James as a minor basilica. [9]Mugavero retired in 1990.

1990 to 2020

[edit]
Bishop Brennan (2020)
Bishop DiMarzio (2012)

To replace Mugavero, Pope John Paul II in 1990 appointed Bishop Thomas Daily from the Diocese of Palm Beach as the next bishop of Brooklyn.[38] Shortly after his installation, he stated that New York Governor Mario Cuomo, would not be welcomed as a speaker in the diocese's parishes because of Cuomo's pro-choice position on abortion rights for women.[39]Dailey retired in 2003.

The next bishop of Brooklyn was Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Diocese of Camden, appointed by John Paul II in 2003. DiMarzio issued three pastoral letters as bishop of Brooklyn.

  • "The New Evangelization in Brooklyn and Queens", October 2004
  • "The Family: The Hope of the New Evangelization", October 2005
  • "Do Not Be Afraid - A Pastoral Vision for the New Evangelization", October 2007

St. Joseph's Church in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn as designated as a co-cathedral in February 2013, by Pope Benedict XVI. DiMarzio had requested the designation due to the small seating capacity of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James.[40]

In November 2019, Mark Matzek, a New Jersey resident, alleged that DiMarzio and another priest had repeatedly molested him while he was an altar server at St. Nicholas Parish and a student at St. Nicholas School in Jersey City, New Jersey, in the mid-1970s. DiMarzio was assigned to St. Nicholas during that time. DiMarzio, who retired in 2020, denied the charges.

2020 to present

[edit]

A burglar in May 2020 broke into St. Augustine Church in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn and stole a gold tabernacle valued at $2 million. The thief emptied the host in the tabernacle on the altar and the floor.[41] As of 2025, the tabernacle had not been recovered. In September 2021, after an investigation led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican said that the accusations against DiMarzio were groundless.[42]

Pope Francis named Bishop Robert J. Brennan from the Diocese of Columbus as bishop of Brooklyn in September 2021.[43]

The diocese in November 2021 fired Matthew LaBanca from his two music jobs at St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Astoria and Corpus Christi Church in Woodside. He was terminated after entering a same-sex marriage in August of that year.[44]

Brennan in November 2023 expressed his shock at a music video for singer Sabrina Carpenter that was filmed inside Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Brooklyn. Staged for the song Feather, the video showed Carpenter dancing on top of the altar in one sequence. In another sequence, she was not wearing pants.[45]Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello, the church pastor, later apologized to the parish and was disciplined by Brennan.[46]

Sexual abuse

[edit]

In September 2018, the Diocese of Brooklyn agreed to a $27.5 million settlement for victims of sexual abuse by its clergy.[47] In February 2019, the diocese published a list of 108 clergy who were credibly accused of committing sexual abuse,[48][49][50] some of whom have also been convicted for their crimes.[51][50] Along with the list, Bishop DiMarzio also issued a letter of apology, asking for forgiveness.[52]

In June 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Reverend Francis Hughes, a priest serving in Queens, on child pornography charges and sex-related charges involving underage minors.[53] In a separate case, the Vatican exonerated Bishop DiMarzio of allegations of sexual abuse dating back a half century. After an investigation led by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican said that the accusations against DiMarzio were groundless.[42]

In April 2024, the diocese reached an agreement with New York Attorney General Letitia James to strengthen it policies for handling sexual abuse allegations against priests. The changes included the appointment of a secular, independent monitor to observe how the diocese handles its reporting of abuse.[54]

Parishes

[edit]
Main article: List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

As of 2025, the Diocese of Brooklyn operates 185 parishes and 211 churches to serve 1.5 million Catholic residents.[55]

Bishops

[edit]

Bishops of Brooklyn

[edit]
  1. John Loughlin (1853 – 1891)
  2. Charles Edward McDonnell (1892 – 1921)
  3. Thomas Edmund Molloy (1922 – 1956), elevated to archbishop ad personam in 1951
  4. Bryan Joseph McEntegart (1957 – 1968), elevated to archbishop ad personam in 1966
  5. Francis Mugavero (1968 – 1990)
  6. Thomas Vose Daily (1990 – 2003)
  7. Nicholas Anthony DiMarzio (2003 – 2021)
  8. Robert J. Brennan (2021 – present)

Current auxiliary bishops

[edit]

Former auxiliary bishops

[edit]

Other diocesan priests who became bishops

[edit]

Priests "equivalent to diocesan bishops" affiliated with this diocese

[edit]

Leo Joseph White, Apostolic Prefect of Garissa, Kenya, 1976-1984 – incardinated in 1990.

Education

[edit]
Cathedral Preparatory High School and Seminary, Brooklyn, New York (2017)
See also: List of schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn

The Catholic Schools of Brooklyn and Queens operates the schools for the Diocese of Brooklyn.[56] As of 2025, it runs 15 high schools.[57] The total student population in 2025 was approximately 30,000.[58]During the early 2000s, the diocese closed 45 schools.[59]

The diocese operates the Cathedral Preparatory High School and Seminary in Queens. It is the only high school in the United States that prepares students for the priesthood. [60]

Cemeteries

[edit]
St. John Cemetery, Queens, New York (2020)

The Diocese of Brooklyn has nine Catholic cemeteries; two in Brooklyn, five in Queens and three in Long Island in the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Brooklyn

[edit]
Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York (2011)

Queens

[edit]

Long Island

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Coen, Joseph W.; McNamara, Patrick, J.; Vaccari, Peter I. Diocese of Immigrants: The Brooklyn Catholic Experience 1853-2003, Éditions du Signe, 2004. ISBN 2-7468-0912-5. p. 120
  2. ^ a b "Baltimore (Archdiocese) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  3. ^ "Catholics – Encyclopedia of New York City". virtualny.ashp.cuny.edu. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  4. ^ "History of Schools". Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of New York. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  5. ^ "Catholic Encyclopedia: Archdiocese of New York". New Advent. Archived from the original on 2020-01-21. Retrieved 2006-01-21.
  6. ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Brooklyn". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  7. ^ "O'Daniel, Victor F., "Profile: John Connolly, Bishop of New York (1814–1825)", Dominican Province of St. Joseph" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
  8. ^ Clarke, Richard Henry (1888). Lives of the Deceased Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States. Vol. I. New York: R. H. Clarke.
  9. ^ a b c "History". St. James Cathedral Basilica. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  10. ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: John Dubois". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2024-04-20.
  11. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. V. 1-3 ..." Catholic editing Company. Jul 1, 1914. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "History and Mission". St. Francis College. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  14. ^ Meehan, Thomas. "Diocese of Brooklyn". Catholic Encyclopedia.
  15. ^ Catholic Cemeteries, Diocese of Brooklyn; accessed July 12, 2020.
  16. ^ "Photographs of St. Mary's Maternity Hospital: NYU Special Collections Finding Aids". findingaids.library.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  17. ^ "Brooklyn Hospital History". www.brownstoner.com. 2010-02-25. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  18. ^ "Documenting New York City's House of the Good Shepherd". NewYorkScapes. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  19. ^ "Vincentian Heritage | St. John's University". www.stjohns.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  20. ^ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Brooklyn". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  21. ^ Dentch, Courtney (2003-06-18). "Mary Immaculate celebrates 100th anniversary – QNS". qns.com. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  22. ^ "History". St. James Cathedral Basilica. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  23. ^ "History". St. Joseph's University of New York. 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  24. ^ "Archbishop Thomas Edmund Molloy [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  25. ^ "History in Brief". Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. Archived from the original on 2009-10-01.
  26. ^ a b "Archbishop Molloy Dies at 71; Headed Brooklyn See 35 Years". The New York Times. 1956-11-27.
  27. ^ "Archbishop Bryan McEntegart, Bishop of Brooklyn, 75, Is Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. October 1, 1968.
  28. ^ "History". Cathedral Seminary House of Formation. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  29. ^ Escobar, Allyson (2019-06-10). "Cathedral College Marks 50th Anniversary With Mass and Dinner". The Tablet. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  30. ^ "Immaculate Conception Center - Douglaston (Queens), New York". www.nycago.org. Retrieved 2022-04-16.
  31. ^ "History in Brief". Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. Archived from the original on October 1, 2009.
  32. ^ "Bishop Francis John Mugavero [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  33. ^ "History", Catholic Migration Services
  34. ^ Goldman, Ari (July 13, 1991). "Francis J. Mugavero, 77, Is Dead; Was Bishop of Brooklyn 22 Years". New York Times.
  35. ^ "Wycliff, Don. "Bricks, Mortar, Hearts and Minds In East Brooklyn, Low-Income Housing Is No Longer a Dream", New York Times, August 27, 1985" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2013. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  36. ^ Mugavero, Bishop Francis. "Declaration Concerning the Bayside Movement", November 4, 1986
  37. ^ "Immaculate Conception Center", The New York City Chapter of the American Guild of Organists
  38. ^ "Bishop Thomas Vose Daily [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  39. ^ Goldman, Ari L. (February 21, 1990). "New Brooklyn Bishop to Bar Cuomo Over Abortion". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  40. ^ "History". Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph - St. Teresa of Avila. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  41. ^ "Tabernacle stolen from parish". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  42. ^ a b News. "Vatican exonerates Brooklyn bishop accused of sexual abuse". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2025-03-02. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  43. ^ "Bishop Robert John Brennan [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  44. ^ "Catholic school dismisses teacher who contracted same-sex marriage". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  45. ^ "Brooklyn bishop 'appalled' over music video shot in Catholic church, will investigate". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  46. ^ "Brooklyn pastor apologizes for provocative music video filmed in church". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  47. ^ "Diocese of Brooklyn reaches record $27.5M settlement with four victims of abuse by former lay educator". NBC News. 18 September 2018. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
  48. ^ "Clergy Sex Abuse Crisis Response". Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
  49. ^ "Brooklyn Diocese lists names of 108 clergy accused of sexually abusing minors". WPIX. Feb 15, 2019. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
  50. ^ a b "List of Diocesan Clergy for whom the Diocese received allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor". Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
  51. ^ "Database of Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse". app.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
  52. ^ "Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord..." (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-08.
  53. ^ "Queens Priest Arrested After Sharing Explicit Texts, Photos with 15-Year-Old Boy: FBI". 29 July 2020.
  54. ^ "NY prosecutor, Brooklyn Diocese reach agreement on abuse mishandling". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  55. ^ "Parishes". Diocese of Brooklyn. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  56. ^ "Catholic Schools Brooklyn & Queens". Office of Schools – Diocese of Brooklyn. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  57. ^ "Catholic High Schools in Brooklyn and Queens". Office of Schools – Diocese of Brooklyn. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  58. ^ "Find Catholic Schools in Brooklyn and Queens". Office of Schools – Diocese of Brooklyn. Retrieved 2025-03-01.
  59. ^ McGibney, Megan (Jun 21, 2019). "With Schools Closing, Is Catholic Education Disappearing in Brooklyn?". Retrieved Jul 1, 2020.
  60. ^ "About Us – Cathedral Prep School and Seminary". Retrieved 2025-03-01.
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